[Principal problems limiting community participation in water supply and sanitation projects]

For community participation to be active and sustained, effective communication is needed between the institutions charged with promoting these activities and the population that is to benefit from the programs in view, particularly economically deprived and rural populations. In this document the author considers the obstacles he observed in Guatemala to the promotion of water supply and sanitation systems, and suggests measures for surmounting them. He also proposes a series of general strategies for making the community an active participant in these activities.