Development Aspects Impressum Editors

Social impacts: The use of wastewater in agriculture has different social impacts such as food safety, health and welfare, impaired quality of life, loss of property values and sustainability of land use

3. Capacity development

Capacity development is “the process by which individuals, groups, organizations, institutions and societies increase their abilities to: i) perform core functions, solve problems, define and achieve objectives; and ii) understand and deal with their de- velopment needs in a broad context and in a sustainable manner” (UNDP, 1998). This definition has three important aspects, namely, it:

• 
  Indicates that capacity is part of a continuing process
  

• 
  Ensures that human resources and the way in which they are utilized are central
  

to capacity development

• 
  Recognizes the importance of the overall framework (system) within which indi- viduals and organizations undertake their functions
  

Following on from this definition, capacity-building in safe wastewater use in ag- riculture can be defined as the process through which relevant stakeholders, es- pecially from sanitation, agriculture, environment and consumer sectors, improve their abilities to perform their core roles and responsibilities, solve problems, define and achieve objectives, understand and address needs, and effectively work to- gether in order to ensure the safe and productive use of wastewater in agriculture.

1. Levels of capacity

As illustrated in figure 1, capacity for safe wastewater use in agriculture exists at three different but closely related levels:

1. 
   System level or context in which organizations, groups and individuals operate
   

2. 
   Organization and group level within the system
   

3. 
   Individual level within organizations and groups
   

Figure 1: Levels and dimensions of capacity with respect to safe wastewater use in agriculture









Source: UNDP (1998)

2.