在过去的20年中，中国在扶贫脱困方面做出了令世人瞩目的成绩。作为千年发展目标之一，中国成功地减少了日均收入低于一美元的人口数量。此外，在大多数其他的千年发展目标的实现过程中，中国也取得了长足进展，这其中就包括向民众提供安全的饮用水问题。
  但是，中国大约有4.5亿农村人口（占农村总人口的40%），仍旧在使用不安全的水资源。在上述人口中，有大约1/4的人没有任何净化水源。剩下的3/4虽然有净化水源，但是水质标准不能达到国家级安全标准。
  由于人为废物污染、或者自然界中的氟化物、砷或盐，不安全的水源中可能含有大量的病菌。另一个日益严重的问题是工农业化学污染。
  这些问题使人们受到污染物的威胁，并导致与不安全用水有关的各种疾病，其中包括腹泻和肝炎等。不安全的水源还会引起一些更严重，但是不很常见的疾病，比如霍乱、痢疾和伤寒等。
  亚洲开发银行（ADB）高级项目经济师Peter Wallum 表示："向农村人口提供安全的水资源和卫生服务会提高农村地区的生活水平，减少与水有关的疾病发生以及相关的医疗费用。贫困人口尤其容易受到与不安全水资源相关的问题的困扰和威胁。"
  "改善水质量、提供洁净水源对于扶贫工作而言至关重要，因为它可以帮助受益人口节省时间，并投入到生产活动中去，从而有利于长期的经济发展。"
对于妇女和学龄儿童而言，获取水的过程尤其具有很高的机会成本。
  比如，在山区，用于担水的时间过长，限制了妇女（通常是妇女负责家庭用水和家务卫生）去挣钱的机会，也造成了儿童（尤其是女童）失学。与水有关的疾病也会对在校学生的教育支出产生消极影响。
  中国政府已经认识到，应该加强国家的政策、战略和行动规划，进一步发展农村地区的水源供应和卫生措施。
  为了帮助中国政府制订相关的政策，亚洲开发银行已经批准了40万 美元的技术援助款项。该笔资金来自亚行的扶贫合作基金，由英国的计划开发署（DFID）提供。中国政府将相应提供10.5万 美元，用于该技术援助项目。
  从2004年3月开始，技术援助项目组将在7个月的时间内制订一个有关农村地区水源供应和卫生领域的中期规划和投资战略，该规划和战略的覆盖时间范围为2006-2010，将吸取包括国际国内的相关项目经验教训，并确保所有相关各方的参与。
  调查分析将在全国范围内进行，但是重点放在中西部的贫困地区。项目解决的主要问题包括地方分权、私营部门的参与、水供给与卫生措施的结合、增强参与机制、妇女的参与以及考虑儿童的需要。
  国际经验表明，为了促进社区卫生，安全的水供给必须与公厕设施的改善、健康教育以及卫生宣传结合起来。
  在中国，只有不到1/3的农村人口使用卫生公厕。尽管进行了卫生教育，在普通人群中并没有形成良好的卫生习惯。
  Wallum 先生还说："如果希望真正改变普通人群的卫生习惯，我们必须在未来农村地区的水供给和卫生设施项目中加强卫生教育。在这方面，村级学校会发挥非常重要的作用。"
  在过去，发展农村地区水供给和卫生设施方面的投入主要集中在硬件建设。现在，政府在政策、战略的制订、实施框架、机构能力等问题也给予了更多的关注，这也包括了最贫困的地区。
  国际组织在上述领域提供了积极的支持。而亚洲开发银行则在中国的水资源战略规划、开发农村地区水供给和废水处理方面扮演了积极的角色。
Wallum 先生表示："技术援助项目组将分析以往的经验教训，然后决定怎样才能将之应用到相应的未来的政策实施中去。"
  该项目的研究结果和建议措施将有助于国家政策的制订，尤其是在2005年3月起草第11个五年计划（2006-2010）时，发挥相应的作用。

 

原文如下：
Safe Water a Key Element in Raising Living Standards for PRC's Rural Poor
By Graham Dwyer  
The People's Republic of China (PRC) has been one of the world's leaders in reducing poverty over the last two decades. The Millennium Development Goal of reducing the number of people living on incomes below US$1 a day has already been achieved. Progress has also been made in achieving most of the other Millennium Development Goals, including improved access to safe drinking water.
However, about 450 million rural people in the country, or 40% of the rural population, continue to use unsafe water. Among this number, roughly one quarter lack access to any improved water source, while the remaining three quarters have access to improved water that does not meet national safety standards.
Unsafe water may have high pathogen levels due to human waste or other contamination, or naturally occurring fluoride, arsenic, or salts. Another growing problem is industrial and agricultural chemical pollution.
These problems expose the population to contaminants and water-related illnesses, including diarrheal illnesses and hepatitis. More serious, but less common health problems arising from unsafe water are cholera, dysentery, and typhoid.
"Providing safe rural water supply and sanitation services will help improve rural living standards, and cut back on water-related diseases and associated medical expenses. The poor are most vulnerable to the risks associated with unsafe water," says Peter Wallum, an ADB Senior Project Economist.
"Improving access to clean water has an overall impact on poverty reduction, as it translates into increased time devoted to productive activities and long-term human development."
Water collection has a particularly high opportunity cost for women and school-age children.
For example, in mountainous areas, time devoted to water carrying limits opportunities for women (often responsible for household water use and sanitation) to earn income, and keeps children (particularly girls) out of school. Water-related illness also adversely affects education outcomes among children enrolled in school.
The Government has recognized the need to further strengthen national policy, strategy, and operational frameworks to develop rural water supply and sanitation.
To help the Government prepare its policies in the sector, ADB has approved a $400,000 technical assistance (TA) grant from its Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund, financed by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom. The Government of the PRC will contribute $105,000 equivalent toward the TA's cost.
Over seven months beginning in March 2004, the TA will help prepare a medium-term rural water supply and sanitation sector plan and investment strategy covering 2006-2010, which will build on best practices learned from local and international projects and ensure stakeholder involvement.
Analysis will be conducted nationwide, with particular attention given to the poor areas in the western and central regions. Priority issues to be tackled include decentralization, private sector participation, integrating water supply and sanitation, enhancing participatory processes, women's involvement, and incorporating children's needs.
International experience has shown that to improve community health, safe water provision must be integrated with latrine improvement, health education, and hygiene promotion.
In the PRC, less than one third of the rural population use sanitary latrines. Despite health education, the messages are not translating into widespread behavioral changes.
"Hygiene education is a major area that has to be improved in future rural water supply and sanitation projects if we are to bring about widespread behavioral change," Mr. Wallum adds. "Village schools will play a key role in this respect."
Past efforts to develop the rural water supply and sanitation sector focused mainly on construction of physical facilities. The Government is now giving more attention to strengthening sector policy, strategy and operational frameworks, and institutional capabilities, including in the poorest communities.
There has been active support for the sector from international organizations, with ADB itself active in water resource strategy planning and developing urban water supply and wastewater utilities in the PRC.
"The TA will analyze the key lessons from these experiences and determine how they can be embedded in future policies governing the sector," says Mr. Wallum.
Key findings and recommendations will feed into the national policy dialogue toward the drafting of the country's 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) in March 2005.