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IRC's seventh annual report.

TitleIRC International Water and Sanitation Centre Annual Report 1975
Publication TypeAnnual Report
Year of Publication1976
AuthorsIRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, NL
Pagination46
PublisherIRC
Place PublishedThe Hague, The Netherlands
Abstract

The year 1975 has been a period at the IRC during which an acceleration of several developments took place. Firstly, the number of staff could be increased by five, bringing the total IRC staff to five persons with a university background, one sub-professional and three administrative assistants. Secondly, it was the first year the IRC had its own budget of over 1 million guilders and thus was able to increase its programme activities. Thirdly, its development was greatly stimulated by international discussions that took place within the framework of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Rural Potable Water Supply and Sanitation. In this Group nine international organizations are working together to draw up an international programme relating to water supply and sanitation, the IRC may have to play an important role in the development and implementation of this programme.

In the course of the year, as a result of the further expansion of the IRC and the above-mentioned international discussions, five points emerged as guidelines for future development:

1. There is a need for an international centre which will initiate, develop and coordinate programmes relating to water supply and sanitation and which will work in close cooperation with representatives from developing countries and various national and international bodies and organizations.

2. The programme to be developed will have to be of an inter-disciplinary nature and pay attention to technical, socioeconomic and public health aspects. In developing countries these elements have to be fitted into a wider framework of socioeconomic development. It is important that a significant part of the programmes is aimed at rural areas and the fringes of cities in developing countries.

3. A key factor in the operation of an international centre such as the IRC is the part played by national and regional institutes in the network of contacts. The success of the IRC will depend largely on the active participation of carefully selected centres in this network.

4. There is also a great need for coordination programmes relating to research and development activities in western countries. Active participation by the IRC in these programmes is not only desirable, it is absolutely essential if the centre itself is to develop and prosper.

5. The IRC will acquire much greater flexibility and will be capable of quicker reactions if it can achieve a more independent status than that of a government department. With regard to this point, it can be said that the IRC has come a step nearer to becoming an independent foundation and can be expected to change its status in the very near future.

Citation Key82996

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