Meeting capacity needs is essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). But these needs must be understood in the context of the wider environment in which practitioners work.

The water and sanitation targets of Ethiopia’s Universal Access Plan are to be reached by 2012. Heinz Greijn talks with Mr Abebe Ayenew of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water Resources about strategies for achieving this goal.

Providing sufficient toilet access is key to meeting health and sanitation targets. But it is difficult to ensure that facilities are used properly and maintained.

Agencies and national governments are increasingly involving local communities when developing water and sanitation systems. Despite this, the functionality of systems in East and Southern Africa remain weak.

Top-down approach water programmes assume people use water for a single purpose. A ‘multiple-use water services’ approach can unleash massive productive capacity in households and communities.

Uganda is a frontrunner in East Africa in water and sanitation reforms, but it is struggling to achieve its sanitation and hygiene-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). More district level leadership is needed.

The developed country model for building capacity in water supply, sanitation and hygiene is inadequate for Asia, Africa and Latin America. Developing countries require a different approach.

‘Capacity development’ means different things to different people. However, it is generally considered essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to water and sanitation. The slow spread of safe water and sanitation is commonly attributed to a shortage of skilled people. Hence capacity development is predominantly associated with training staff in constructing physical assets such as toilets and water systems, particularly but not only in rural areas.