Stef Smits is a senior programme officer and Co-director of IRC's Growth Hub. He has 20 years of professional experience in water supply and sanitation in over 25 countries in Europe, Latin America, Southern Africa, and South Asia. His main thematic expertise includes: institutional models for water supply, sustainability and enabling environment, monitoring, costing and financing of services and integrated water resources management.
Stef has led numerous projects on these topics, and published about them. In addition, he has ample management expertise: from consultancy assignments to multi-annual programmes, and units within an organisation. He has worked for a range of clients including bilateral donors, development banks, research funders and NGOs. Stef holds an MSc degree in Irrigation and Water Engineering from Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
IRC and Water For People have developed a roadmap to achieve universal piped water coverage in 30 focus districts in Honduras as well as having plans... Read more...
For less than US$12 per person per year a town in Honduras can ensure that everyone's water supply keeps working. Read more...
El Municipio de Chinda alcanzó la cobertura total en los servicios de agua. Sin embargo, el municipio tiene que invertir hasta 11.8 US$/persona en agua cada año para siempre. La buena noticia es que este monto es asequible para el municipio y le permitirá mantener la cobertura total, para siempre... Read more...
" Sin salsa no hay paraíso " canta el Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. En Honduras, sin el gran combo, no hay agua. Read more...
Honduras es un país cinco estrellas, y no solo por el número de estrellas en su bandera. Aunque en términos de agua y saneamiento tiene un buen desempeño, solo logra cuatro estrellas. Read more...
The COMAS – Municipal Water and Sanitation Committee – of the municipality of El Negrito (in the Department of Yoro, Honduras), is strongly committed to providing universal water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to its citizens. But it needs a plan to get there. And it needs to make a plan... Read more...
One of the nicest water-related customs in Honduras is the breaking of the pot. When a village gets connected to a water system, part of the inauguration ceremony consists of an old woman from the village symbolically throwing a clay water-pot on the ground, so that it breaks. She will never need... Read more...
Honduras es uno de los países estrella que alcanzó los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) de agua y saneamiento unos años antes de su tiempo. La pregunta ahora es si el país está bien preparado para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), que se están aprobando ahora. Read more...
Based on a review of the costs of 179 water and sanitation projects carried out by FHIS (Honduran Social Investment Fund) over the last five years, we established the unit cost ranges for different intervention models. We also identified the main factors driving the costs of water and sanitation... Read more...
En base a una revisión de costos de unos 179 proyectos de agua y saneamiento realizados por el FHIS (Fondo Hondureño de Inversión Social) en los últimos cinco años, estamos estableciendo rangos de costos unitarios de acuerdo a diferentes modelos de intervención. Además identificamos los factores... Read more...
2014 was the year in which we got more insight into how rural water supply systems are doing in Honduras. The situation isn't as bad as often thought. Most water systems are working and water is flowing. But a significant portion face problems with for example water quality. And many water... Read more...
Honduras, just like other Central American countries has adopted SIASAR (the Rural Water and Sanitation Information System) to monitor water and sanitation services in rural areas. IRC supports the development and roll-out of SIASAR in different ways. Read more...
"Porque exactos son los números.......depende". Así dice la bonita canción " Depende " de Jarabe de Palo. ¿Cuáles son los números exactos de los costos del agua?...depende. Así dice la conclusión del estudio sobre costos de agua y saneamiento en Honduras. Read more...
Honduras, al igual que otros países de la región centroamericana adopta el SIASAR (Sistema de Información de Agua y Saneamiento Rural) como su sistema de monitoreo de servicios de agua y saneamiento en zonas rurales. El IRC apoya el SIASAR de diferentes formas. Read more...
I am waiting for the moment that the newspapers report it is all quiet on the waterfront. Read more...
Para Todos, Por Siempre (Everyone, Forever) is an initiative to promote universal access to sustainable water and sanitation services in some 28 municipalities in Honduras. IRC is one of the partners in this initiative. Read more...