Taken from the Sustainability in WASH governance programmes, A WaterAid and Freshwater Action Network publication. Written by Hilary Coulby.
“For WaterAid and FAN, sustainability means that the benefits and progress achieved during the life of the programme not only survive and continue long after it has ended, but also continue to progress on an upward course. This definition implies that there is no end point for sustainability. Even if a completely ideal state is reached, this too must be continually sustained. If at any time the benefits of the programme begin to disappear and communities slip back into the pre-intervention situation, then the intervention cannot be said to be sustainable.”
This handbook focuses on:
- Sustainability definitions and frameworks.
- Achieving sustainability (at local and national levels).
- Sustainability for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and their networks.
- Limits on the reach of NGOs and international NGOs (INGOs) and implications for their sustainability strategies.
Visit this guide and additional sustainability handbooks online at: www.wateraid.org/gtflearninghandbooks