Strengthen district government delivery of community DWASH and environmental services.

The objective of the DWASH Program is to strengthen district government delivery capacity for community water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and environmental services leading to measurable improvement of health, productivity, and environmental conditions, as well as to support Timor-Leste’s efforts to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs).  The comprehensive DWASH interventions are organized under three technical program components (Community Water Services, Environmental Services, and Sanitation and Hygiene Services), and a fourth national coordination and support sector. 

To provide clean water supply systems and providing training in operation and maintenance of water facilities, the program also supported water source protection activities, with the aim to achieve sustainability. Today, some 23,000 rural residents have access to new clean water systems where before they had none.  Additionally, more than 12,000 people have new or improved sanitation facilities, including latrines and hand washing facilities -- part of an effort to stress the importance of good hygiene to battle infection and disease.