Results: Projects in Action

Water | Roads | Public Sector Reform

Water
       
The Rural Water and Sanitation Project moderately alleviated poverty in rural areas by enhancing productivity through improved health conditions and a more efficient use of the time saved collecting water. Drinking water supply systems were constructed in 762 rural communities, as well as 27 sewage systems and more than 12,000 latrines. Although access to water is still a critical problem in rural areas, the project expanded during 2000 to cover one third of the rural population, compared with only one quarter in 1996. During the same period, partly because of the water projects, infant mortality declined from 92 to 83 deaths per 1,000 births.

Roads

Because road improvement is crucial in order to end the isolation of the rural population from health and education services and to improve trade at both the national and international levels, the ongoing Road Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project aims to improve road transportability and accessibility through the rehabilitation of key segments of the national and secondary road networks, as well as to strengthen the country’s capacity to manage road assets. In a separate assistance project entitled El Niño, 28 rural roads were upgraded, 27 irrigation canals were constructed and 21 retention structures were built for rivers in areas prone to flooding.  In drought-affected areas, 319 small reservoirs, 179 surface wells and 50 small irrigation systems were constructed.

Public sector reform

The World Bank has financed several public sector reform projects, which include the creation of regulatory systems for the telecommunications, electricity, transport, oil and gas sectors and for the mining sector. The regulatory frameworks are designed to guarantee that basic services are provided as promised and that key industries operate in accordance with sound environmental rules.  In addition, the Bank helped the Government to set up an anti-corruption program that includes a recently created National Integrity Unit.  In the judicial system, several investigations of Supreme Court judges were initiated and a Judiciary Council was created to set new standards for judges appointed to judicial posts.

Learn more about How the World Bank Measures Results.

See some of our results.