Sri Lanka - Clean Settlement Project

Report No. PIC2765 Project Name Sri Lanka-Clean Settlement Project Region South Asia Sector Urban Development Project ID LKPA41885 Implementing Agency Ministry of Housing, Construction & Public Utilities Sethsiripaya, Colombo, Sri Lanka Contact: Mr. K.A.S. Gunasekera Date Prepared August 22, 1995 Projected Board Date September 1996 1. Project Objectives. The proposed Clean Settlement Project (CSP) is designed to assist the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to improve low-income settlements (LIS) in the Western Provincial Council (WPC), particularly in the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA) by: (a) introducing a more effective and sustainable approach to provision of basic services to low income communities through extensive community participation and incorporation of social and economic development as a means of helping to alleviate poverty in the CMA; (b) improving the capabilities of local governments and sector institutions including non- governmental organizations to undertake and sustain the efforts; and (c) establishing functioning community organizations and user groups to manage the assets. The proposed project also includes measures that would help the communities themselves continue to reap the benefits of the project through training, income generation, hygiene education, and promotion of community empowerment. 2. Project Description. The project would comprise the following components: (a) Infrastructure Services covering water distribution, waste disposal, drainage, sanitation, footpaths, lighting, landscaping, and community facilities, within acceptable minimum standards and within prescribed levels of affordability consistent with community willingness to pay; (b) Capacity Building Technical Assistance organizing communities to provide hygiene education, environmental sanitation and support to income-generating activities such as gender specific training, job referral and placement, and small business management; (c) Program Development Technical Assistance providing support to the intermediary unit for contracting, training, monitoring and evaluation, and procurement; and (d) a campaign promoting Public Awareness. 3. Project Cost and Financing US$ Million GOSL/WPC/Local Authorities 4.0 Communities 2.5 IDA 18.5 Total 25.0 4. Implementation. Under the proposed project, funds would be provided to upgrade infrastructure facilities together with capacity building of  Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and user groups, hygiene education and training in income-generating activities managed by organizations working at the community level. The CBOs would be drawn from within a settlement to represent the community