Access to clean water, reliable energy, and
good transportation are fundamental to
the health and economic development of
populations in developing countries. Often,
engineers in developing countries manage
that infrastructure by “keeping the lights on”
or the “water running” or the “trains moving,”
even though system losses may be very high.
Yet where developing countries really falter
is in their commercial, not their engineering,
management. Endemic problems – such as
tariffs that are significantly below cost recovery
levels, very low collections levels, and a lack
of focus on improving system losses – destroy
financial sustainability. Worse still, these
problems severely limit the ability to expand
reliable services to more consumers, e.g. in
rural or low-income urban areas.
Cardno is well positioned to provide advisory
services working with government and local
communities to improve infrastructure.
Well-performing infrastructure strengthens
other sectors (such as healthcare), which are
inextricably linked to the services provided, e.g.,
by water or power utilities.Cardno promotes clear
policies and practices that generate revenues
for the provision of basic public services, which
leads to an increase in economic growth, a
decline in corruption, and an improvement in
citizens’ quality of life.
Cardno’ focus is on water and wastewater,
solid waste management, energy,
transportation, and ICT/telecommunications,
with an emphasis on financial management
and establishing financial sustainability. As
a Cardno group company,Cardno promotes
sustainable change in utilities management
through effective knowledge transfer,
strengthening local capacity and engaging
the public and private sectors.