Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require nations to ensure adequate water supply for all. For Kazakhstan, this means that rural areas will need much stronger attention as they have been rather neglected in efforts to comply with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This study aims to establish a baseline data concerning the current situation in villages that will need interventions according to the SDGs. The study was performed by means of questionnaires. The results should be seen as initial guidelines that can help to illuminate some of the uncounted challenges in future efforts to meet the SDG targets. As hardly any information exists about sanitation in rural Kazakhstan, the study essentially focuses on water services. The results show that 65% of rural dwellers want to connect and pay for the piped water supply. At the same time, about 80% have toilets outside their home. Consequently, the water program aiming at providing 80% of rural people with access to tap water from a centralized piped system will not be possible. However, by carefully managing the existing water supply and sanitation system in joint collaboration with the local users, significant progress can be made. The present results show the important first steps that need to be taken in this direction.
Highlights
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is essential for both individual and population health as well as for quality of life and dignity
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) progress report showed that the Kazakhstani urban population is 90% covered by piped water on premises, while only 28% of the rural people have access to piped water [2,3]
The present study examines the current access to drinking water and sanitation services in rural areas of the Pavlodar region, Northern Kazakhstan
Summary
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is essential for both individual and population health as well as for quality of life and dignity. 663 million people worldwide still lacked improved drinking water sources [2,3], the UN. Several developing regions including Caucasus and Central Asia did not reach the MDG target. With 2.4 billion still lacking improved sanitation facilities and 946 million practicing open defecation, the sanitation target was missed by almost 700 million people. Eight out of ten people still without improved drinking water sources live in rural areas. The MDG progress report showed that the Kazakhstani urban population is 90% covered by piped water on premises, while only 28% of the rural people have access to piped water [2,3]. About 20% of the rural population in Kazakhstan has the same level of piped water coverage as sub-Saharan Africa
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