Rural water sustainability index (RWSI): an innovative multicriteria and participative approach for rural communities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Diego Lima Crispim ◽  
Gardenio Diogo Pimentel Da Silva ◽  
Lindemberg Lima Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Participative Approach

scholarly journals Application of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) in Amazon rural communities, Pará, Brazil

Water Policy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Lima Crispim ◽  
Lindemberg Lima Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Spatial Behavior ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Water Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Brazilian Amazon Region ◽  
Rural Water

Abstract This paper proposes an adaptation of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) to the Brazilian Amazon region. Policymakers can use this tool to identify areas of water stress and develop actions to guarantee water access to rural communities. Multi-criteria analysis and a geographical information system were integrated to incorporate various indicators and produce maps displaying spatial water sustainability levels in rural communities. The RWSI was employed on a case study at 16 rural communities in Santa Luzia do Pará, Pará, Brazil. In total, 380 closed and structured interviews were conducted with people living in the area to collect local information for the model application. The results showed a varied spatial behavior between rural communities of Santa Luzia do Pará, with similarities and differences based on the overall condition of water resources (final index values). Half of the locations had ‘Poor’ or ‘Poor-Medium’ water quality. The remaining sample obtained scores ranging from ‘Medium-Good’ to ‘Good’ water sustainability. RWSI’ scores varied widely (from 5.7 to 6.5) among the communities. It was also found that localities more distant from surface water presented more water stress.

Rural Water Sustainability

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Kwena ◽  
Dr. Makori Moronge
Keyword(s):  
Water Sustainability ◽  
Rural Water

scholarly journals Rural water supply in Nigeria: policy gaps and future directions

Water Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Chukwuma Obeta
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Rural Water Supply ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Sustainable Services

Abstract The alarming state of safe water deprivation among the residents of rural communities in Nigeria is well recognized. Unfortunately, research that shows the policy gaps in the water supply sector of the country and measures to eliminate them in order to improve water supply sustainability in the country is lacking. This paper investigates the landscape of water service provision to rural communities in Nigeria using investigative and qualitative approaches due to the desire to explore the experience and opinions of previous workers/agencies in the region. Primary and secondary data were used in the study. Findings characterized the rural water supply landscape in the region. The community-based service providers are constrained by several policy gaps that negatively impact on the quality and sustainability of rural water supply in the country. Rural water interventions suffer from a high rate of failures due largely to weak institutional framework in the water supply sector. The paper recommends that for rural water supply sustainability to be improved in Nigeria all the stakeholders must work together to prioritize and address the policy gaps constraining service delivery simultaneously in the region. Working on one factor alone may not result in sustainable services.

scholarly journals Critical Factors for the Success of Rural Water Supply Services in Brazil

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2180
Author(s):  
Anna V. M. Machado ◽  
João A. N. dos Santos ◽  
Norbertho da S. Quindeler ◽  
Lucas M. C. Alves
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Nominal Group Technique ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Water Quality Control ◽  
Rural Water Supply ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Water Supply Services

The universalization of drinking water in rural communities poses a great challenge to developing countries, where rural areas often receive poor water service coverage and limited attention from authorities. This scenario is the current reality in Brazil. The community management model of rural water services has proven to be a noteworthy approach to ensure the continuity of water supply where private and public entities do not operate. However, its sustainability depends on several aspects. The authors of the current paper performed a thorough review of relevant publications in the rural sanitation field of study using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) methodology, which enabled the creation of a list of essential factors capable to ensure the sustainability of Rural Water Supply Services (RWSS). Using the Nominal Group Technique with a selection of participants from a national conference held in Brazil in 2015, specialists hierarchized the factors, demonstrating their perception of the most important aspects necessary in RWSS throughout Brazil. Consequently, the authors noticed the necessity of a strong enabling environment, which recognizes small communities and their local services. Water quality control, post-construction support and the existence of a financial scheme were also pointed out as important aspects to ensure RWSS’s sustainability.

scholarly journals Does sense of ownership matter for rural water system sustainability? Evidence from Kenya

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J. Marks ◽  
Kyle Onda ◽  
Jennifer Davis
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water System ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Sense Of Ownership ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
System Sustainability

Community sense of ownership for rural water infrastructure is widely cited as a key factor in ensuring sustainable service delivery, but no empirical investigation has evaluated the relationship between sense of ownership and sustainability outcomes. This study examines the association between system sustainability and sense of ownership among households and water committees, using primary data collected throughout 50 rural communities with piped water systems in Kenya. Data sources include in-person interviews with 1,916 households, 312 water committee members and 50 system operators, as well as technical assessments of water systems. Using principal components analysis we create composite measures of system sustainability (infrastructure condition, users' confidence, and ongoing management), and of water committees' and households' sense of ownership for the system. All else held constant, infrastructure condition is positively associated with water committee members' sense of ownership, whereas users' confidence and system management are positively associated with households' sense of ownership. These findings stand in contrast with much of the published literature on rural water planning, which assumes homogeneity of ownership feelings across all members of a community and which suggests a consistent and positive association between households' sense of ownership and sustainability.

scholarly journals A water sustainability index for West Java. Part 1: developing the conceptual framework

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1629-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Juwana ◽  
B. J. C. Perera ◽  
N. Muttil
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Delphi Technique ◽  
Robustness Analysis ◽  
Water Sustainability ◽  
West Java ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Sustainability Indices

Sustainable water resources management is essential since it ensures the integration of social, economical and environmental issues into all stages of water resources management. The development and application of water sustainability indices to achieve sustainable water management has been successfully done in the last few years. Although existing water sustainability indices have successfully provided information on current conditions of water resources and prioritised water related issues, they have been developed for specific case study areas. This study therefore aims at developing a water sustainability index for West Java, Indonesia. The overall steps for developing the index include developing a conceptual framework, application of Delphi technique to finalise the components/indicators of the index, applying the index to case studies and robustness analysis of the index. This paper, which is the first in a two-part series, discusses the first step, namely developing the conceptual framework of the West Java Water Sustainability Index (WJWSI). It outlines the criteria for identifying the initial set of components/indicators and based on those criteria, a detailed justification for selecting each component and indicator is also presented. The second paper of the series presents the application of Delphi technique to finalise the framework of WJWSI based on feedback from selected stakeholders. The remaining steps of developing WJWSI will be undertaken in the future.

Assessing sustainability of community management of rural water systems in the developing world

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan W. Schweitzer ◽  
James R. Mihelcic
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Weighting Factor ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Stratified Sample ◽  
Rural Water Systems

An alarmingly high percentage of drinking water systems in the developing world do not provide design service, or may even fail. This has health implications for vulnerable populations forced to consume water from alternative, often unimproved sources. The Sustainability Assessment Tool developed in this research serves as a diagnostic to inform decision-making, characterize specific needs of rural communities in the management of their water systems, and identify weaknesses in training regimes or support mechanisms. Fifteen specific measures result in a score of sustainability likely (SL), possible, or unlikely for eight indicators. A weighting factor is applied to each indicator to provide an overall sustainability score. The framework was tested on 61 statistically representative geographically stratified sample communities with rural water systems in the Dominican Republic. Twenty-three percent of systems were assessed to be SL, 59% sustainability possible, and for 18% it is unlikely the community will be able to overcome a significant challenge(s). As post-construction support increased so did community participation (p = 0.005) and financial durability (p = 0.004). Increased accounting transparency was correlated to increased compliance with user tariffs (p < 0.001) and system age was inversely correlated to transparency (p = 0.003) and community activity level (p = 0.005).

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