Orangi Pilot Project Research Articles

Buying Consent

Community participation remains central to development policy; but so do concerns that negotiations to achieve it have become a drill devoid of real meaning. Repeatedly, development interventions fail to unlock its presumed benefits: low-cost innovation, good governance and sustainability. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) in Pakistan, a well-known case of organic community participation, this article demonstrates that the ability to buy consent in the case of donor-funded projects erodes the capacity for real community negotiations to take place. The article argues for closer study of cases such as OPP, known for their strong element of community embeddedness, to understand where things go wrong in aid-induced community participatory projects. It shows how constant negotiations within the community that allowed for the building of trust, the merging of local and technical knowledge, the trialling and adjustments of interventions, and patient lobbying of government officials and field staff are key to unlocking the real benefits of community participation and ensuring social accountability on the part of government agencies. The quick fixes encouraged under development projects, which normally rely on material incentives to generate co-operation, undermine these very principles leading to growing evidence of failure of aid-induced community participatory projects.

Learning from Sustained Success: How Community-Driven Initiatives to Improve Urban Sanitation Can Meet the Challenges

Summary Past research by one of the authors of this paper has identified four key institutional challenges that community-driven initiatives to improve sanitation in deprived urban settlements face: the collective action challenge of improving community sanitation; the coproduction challenge of working with formal service providers to dispose of the sanitary waste safely; the affordability challenge of reconciling the affordable with what is acceptable to both users and local authorities; and the tenure challenge of preventing housing insecurity from undermining residents’ willingness to commit to sanitary improvement. In this article we examine how two well-documented, relatively successful and longstanding initiatives, the Orangi Pilot Project and an Alliance of Indian partners, met these challenges. They were met through social innovation, but also through the choice and development of sanitation technologies (simplified sewers for OPP and community toilet blocks for the Indian Alliance) that provided traction for the social innovations. We also explore more recent efforts by civil society partnerships in four African cities, demonstrating some of the difficulties they have faced in trying to overcome these challenges. No equivalent models have emerged, though there has been considerable progress against particular challenges in particular places. These findings confirm the importance of the challenges, and indicate that these are not just challenges for social organization, but also for technology design and choice. For example, the problem with household pit latrines is not that they cannot physically be improved to sufficiently, but that they are not well-suited to the social, economic and political challenges of sanitary improvement at scale. The findings also indicate that a low economic status and a tendency to treat sanitation as a private good not suitable for public support also makes the sanitation challenges difficult to overcome.

Transforming Urban Settlements, The Orangi Pilot Project’s Low-Cost Sanitation Model

The book presented herein unfolds the vicissitudes of urban settlements with reference to Karachi city. This book provides a different perspective and describes the formulation and execution of the Orangi Pilot Project’s Sanitation Model. It is neatly designed and well produces by the author. No heuristic study so far appears to have been conducted in this area. The Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) is famous internationally and locally for its low cost sanitation programme which initiated in the lanes and vicinity of Orangi Town, the largest informal settlement in Karachi housing more than a million people, nearly three decades ago. The book is an edited and a bridged version of a study conducted by the author submitted to Water Aid, UK, one of the United Kingdom’s leading charity organization.

Institutional forms of social innovation

This paper offers a critique of the contemporary institutional discourses in social innovation theory and practice. It synthesises these discussions into the assumptions of replicability, durability and resistance of socially innovative actions and initiatives. Using the example of Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), the paper makes a case for alternative dimensions to these assumptions in the form of adaptability, sustainability and institutional resilience for addressing the socioeconomic needs of individuals and communities. From this perspective, the institutional setup of OPP emerges as a form of social innovation that has proved sustainable and resilient over time by sticking to its core ethics, sustaining its network of institutions, and adapting to the changing needs and demands of local communities. In conclusion social innovation is emphasised as a catalyst for social and institutional transformation.

Microfinance - A Poverty Reducing Agent in Pakistan

Pakistan is a large country with a population estimated at 180 millions. The economy has a low Per Capita Income of US$ 600 approximately, with an estimated purchasing power parity of $ 2500. Poverty has always remained a major development problem of Pakistan. Many methods have been used in the past to alleviate poverty including Direct Credit Approach, focus on job creation, heightened economic activities etc. Islamic modes of financing included Fitrana, Sadqat, Ijarah, Istisna, Bai Muajal, Salam, Musarakah, Mudarabah, Leasings and so many other things, but the results are not encouraging. The main focus of these approaches was on income redistribution. However, there is immense evidence suggesting that a successful anti-poverty strategy should include a policy regime that promotes inclusive economic growth; investments in human capital, infrastructure, and micro-credit. In fact microfinance encompasses all these important aspects and that is the reason to work on this particular area and analyze broadly its effect on the economy of Pakistan.Microfinance arose in the 1980s as a response to doubts and research findings about US state delivery of subsidized credit to poor farmers. Grameen Bank’s of Dr. Yunus is still considered as the main pioneer in the provision of microfinance. In the 1970s US government agencies were the predominant methods of providing productive credit to those with no previous access to credit facilities. In Pakistan there are many formal, semi-formal and informal channels working for the provision of the micro-credit. In this paper, Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) and Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) have been chosen for this purpose, and to discuss their maximum outreach including, the First Microfinance Bank, Kashf Foundation, Orangi Pilot Project, Punjab Rural Support Program and The Bank of Khyber. Microfinance has seemed to last a positive impacts on the Economy, culture and Psychology of the area where it was provided. Village organizations in the area of AKRSP seemed to have a positive impact (resulting in wealth creation, better productivity & income, better human resource management and conservation of natural resources). At the macro level provision of microfinance results in alleviation of poverty, female empowerment and development of overall financial system.

The Technical Training Resource Centre (TTRC): building community architects

This paper describes how the Technical Training Resource Centre (TTRC) was set up by a young trainee of the Orangi Pilot Project—Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) to support better quality housing and infrastructure provision in the kaatchi abadis (informal settlements) of Karachi. The centre’s work includes technical advice for constructing or extending houses and schools, training in construction for those with diplomas in civil engineering and architecture, and training for young people to undertake neighbourhood-level documentation and mapping (this is needed for planning upgrading and for negotiating with government authorities for infrastructure and tenure). The paper also discusses the difficulties that the TTRC faced, including generating sufficient funding to cover its costs.

Micro Financing of NGOs and Government: Collaborative Impact on Poverty Eradication

Poverty reduction has been declared as the most important millennium development goal not only by the world level organizations and institutions, but also by the government of Pakistan. Micro-credit is considered as a prime tool to fight back poverty. After the success of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh multiple other banks and micro finance institutions (MFI’s) like Banko Soladerio of Latin America, Indonesia’s BRI-UD, BAAC in Thailand, BRAC in Bangladesh and VBSP in Vietnam have been working on almost the similar pattern. In Pakistan different NGOs like AKRSP, Orangi pilot project, Kashf foundation and others have started working for the past few years basically to eradicate poverty and for women empowerment. The government institutions are also seriously making an effort to eradicate poverty through micro financing schemes. Government of Pakistan has selected the RSP (rural support program) model for micro-financing. The success of both government institutions and NGOs is not very outstanding to meet the basic objective of poverty eradication. The aim of this paper is to see the possibility of collaboration between the NGOs and the government to achieve the desired common goal. It is hypothesized that if government and NGOs work together and collaborate each other, the effectiveness of micro financing schemes could be strengthened.

Land, CBOs and the Karachi Circular Railway

The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was planned in 1962 as a goods service linking five important work areas of the city. Subsequently, it was upgraded for commuter use as well. Pakistan Railways now wish to upgrade and expand the circular railway and double-track those parts of it that are single track. However, for this to be done about 20,000 households living in informal settlements along the railway tracks will have to be evicted and relocated. The residents of the informal settlements have organized themselves as part of the All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi Abadis (APAKA), and their local chapter is known as the Network of Railway Colonies. Two Karachi NGOs, the Orangi Pilot Project—Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) and the Urban Resource Centre (URC), have been instrumental in supporting the Network of Railway Colonies and other community organizations in surveying the “encroachments” (both formal and informal) along the railway tracks and in documenting the histories of the different settlements. This documentation has strengthened the negotiating power of the railway land informal settlements, whose communities have also made a number of proposals for changes and alternatives to the government’s scheme.

Financing the sanitation programme of the Orangi Pilot Project—Research and Training Institute in Pakistan

This paper describes the financing mechanisms for the sanitation programme supported by the Orangi Pilot Project's Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) in informal settlements in Karachi and other urban centres in Pakistan. These centre on OPP—RTI support for the inhabitants of a lane to plan, implement and finance the “internal components” — sanitary latrines in the houses, underground sewers in the lanes and neighbourhood collector sewers — and support for local governments to finance the larger “external” trunk sewers into which the neighbourhood sewers feed and also treatment plants. The inhabitants have to raise all the funding to cover the costs of the internal components and in around 300 locations in Pakistan, communities have financed, managed and built their own internal sanitation systems. Local governments can also afford to install the external systems as they no longer have to fund the internal components, and as OPP—RTI has helped them develop much lower-cost methods for planning and building trunk sewers.

Orangi Pilot Project: the expansion of work beyond Orangi and the mapping of informal settlements and infrastructure

This paper describes the work of the Pakistan NGO, Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute (OPP-RTI), in supporting improved provision for sanitation and other services in Orangi and other informal settlements in Karachi, and in other cities and smaller urban centres in Pakistan. It also describes an OPP-RTI programme to map and survey informal settlements in Karachi, and the youth training programme that supported this, and also the support for OPP-RTI partners in mapping in other urban centres. Improving infrastructure and services, and house upgrading in informal settlements, has been hampered by a lack of maps showing plot boundaries and existing infrastructure. Documenting and mapping these informal settlements has a number of important repercussions for urban policy, planning and infrastructure investment, as it demonstrates people’s involvement and investment in development. As a result, planning agencies and local governments have realized the need to support this work, rather than ignoring or duplicating it, and this has had important implications on how infrastructure is planned, financed and managed. As the paper describes, this includes greatly reducing or removing the need for international loans to finance such investments.

A model for government-community partnership in building sewage systems for urban areas: The experiences of the Orangi Pilot Project – Research and Training Institute (OPP-RTI), Karachi

Over 20 years the Orangi Pilot Project has been working to understand the problems of Orangi, a district of Karachi largely characterised by high-density informal settlement, and enable its residents to develop and implement solutions. Sanitation was identified as the major problem and a sewerage system was built. From this work was developed the "internal-external" concept for sanitation, which has 4 levels: sanitary latrines in houses; underground sewer in lane; neighbourhood collector sewer; and trunk sewer and treatment plant. The first three components are "internal" and can be undertaken by low-income communities; the "external" fourth component has to be funded and carried out by government or similar agency. Successful and unsuccessful attempts elsewhere to replicate this model have both confirmed the effectiveness and practicality of such community-based action and shown the - largely organisational pitfalls that must be avoided.

A “Process Approach” to Urban Settlement Improvement in South Asia: Lessons from the Orangi Pilot Project in the Context of Planning Theory

A “Process Approach” to Urban Settlement Improvement in South Asia: Lessons from the Orangi Pilot Project in the Context of Planning Theory

The Orangi Pilot Project: the evaluation of a micro-enterprise credit institution

This paper evaluates the functioning of the Orangi Pilot Project, a credit institution set up to invest in small scale enterprises in a large slum in Karachi. Despite severe poverty and street violence, the project extended loans to 4382 businesses between 1987 and 1996. Of these, 58% were closed at the time of the study, with 94% having fully repaid the loan within the time agreed. The paper examines the reasons for this high success rate and concludes that the institute had developed efficient and robust lending procedures which were innovative, disciplined and streamlined. Case studies of typical investments are presented to illustrate both the nature of the investee businesses and the role of the loan officers and field personnel.

Orangi Pilot Project

The Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) has become one of the best known NGO projects in the provision of sanitation. In the 16 years since its inception, the Project has directly and indirectly assisted about one million people in Orangi (Karachi) to improved sanitation. Their intervention has been developed through research into household resources and aspirations in Orangi. From the beginning, OPP staff have sought to minimise external support in order to assist households to achieve their objectives for local development. From their first activities, their work has been extended in two directions. The Project has started to work with the people of Orangi and the surrounding area in the provision of a number of additional services including housing, health, credit for entrepreneurs, education and rural development. More recently, staff have been assisting both government and non-government agencies to initiate a number of new projects in other cities in Pakistan drawing on the experience of the Orangi Pilot Project.

Orangi Pilot Project

The Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) has become one of the best known NGO projects in the provision of sanitation. In the 16 years since its inception, the Project has directly and indirectly assisted about one million people in Orangi (Karachi) to improved sanitation. Their intervention has been developed through research into household resources and aspirations in Orangi. From the beginning, OPP staff have sought to minimise external support in order to assist households to achieve their objectives for local development. From their first activities, their work has been extended in two directions. The Project has started to work with the people of Orangi and the surrounding area in the provision of a number of additional services including housing, health, credit for entrepreneurs, education and rural development. More recently, staff have been assisting both government and non-government agencies to initiate a number of new projects in other cities in Pakistan drawing on the experience of the Orangi Pilot Project.

Infrastructure for the urban poor: Policy and planning issues

Traditional modes of providing physical infrastructure on unimproved settlements for the urban poor are unlikely to meet the ever-increasing demand for services. New policies for implementation, management and use of more appropriate technologies are required. Conventional high levels of service are shown not to be affordable. An alternative policy strategy involving a participatory support approach is explored. This plans for the provision of ‘primary level’ services with view to subsequent upgrading, which is to be managed by householders and communities. Implications for households, communities and institutions are addressed, and reference is made to the experiences of the low cost sanitation and sewerage programme of the Orangi Pilot Project in Pakistan.

Health, attitudes and beliefs of working women

A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted comparing working women employed by the Women's Work Centres of the Orangi Pilot Project with non-working matched controls. Differences in the knowledge, attitude and practice of several variables were elicited. Working women's families had significantly higher immunization rates, 73% vs 55%, and shorter duration of illness, 5.9 days vs 8.8 days, compared to controls. More working than non-working women supported contraception, 100% vs 74%, desired equal education for sons and daughters ( P < 0.005), and had a dominant role in family health decision-making, 48% vs 12%. We conclude that these working women in Orangi have a different set of beliefs and practices than non-working women and this may be one important factor responsible for the lower morbidity in their children.

Two approaches to the improvement of low-income urban areas — Madras and Orangi

Slums or squatter settlements have long been recognised as a major urban problem in India and Pakistan. Until recently, public authorities have not been able to bring about any substantial change in these settlements. However, there have been two relatively successful projects one in Madras and the other in Orangi, Karachi. Although the basic aim of both the projects has been to seek improvement in the low-income areas of urban poor, approaches adopted by the two projects have been different. This paper has studied these approaches and has identified their differences. Emphasis of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) approach is on management of the programme by the people themselves. OPP provides a viable approach to undertaking improvement programmes in lowincome urban areas. Madras Slum Improvement Programme (SIP) also provides a possibility of finding long-term solutions to the urban slum problems. It is managed by public agencies and has not been fully successful as the local community has not been effectively involved in the programme. It is felt that SIP will be more successful if the local community is fully involved in the process of planning, implementation and maintenance of the programme.