Sustainable Rural Water Supply Schemes and Sri Lankan Community-based Organisations

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 702-717
Author(s):  
Lalith Wijesinghe ◽  
Darshani Ilangangedara ◽  
L.H.P. Gunarathne

With a majority of the world’s poor living in rural areas, focusing on rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene is necessary if Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved. Therefore, donor agencies invest a significant amount of funds on rural water and sanitation projects. These rural water supply schemes (RWSS) are usually proposed to be managed by community-based organisations. Therefore, sustainability has become a widely discussed aspect in the agendas of programmes related to these projects. Benefits can be obtained by developing a framework for measuring sustainability and identifying the factors affecting the sustainability of RWSS. This can help to predict sustainability before implementing projects and to take necessary actions to enhance the sustainability during the project implementation stage itself. This conceptual and practice-based study was carried out to develop a framework to assess and compare the sustainability of community-based RWSS and to identify the factors affecting them.

Water Policy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 650-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyapriya Rout

The paper reports the main findings of a study, designed to develop a better understanding of institutional variations in working with the demand responsive approach (DRA) in rural water supply in the state of Odisha in India. Data for the paper were collected from twelve village communities, where water is being supplied either through their community based institution or through the local government institution of the Gram Panchayat. The findings suggest that the two types of institutions performed differently in implementing the DRA. It depicted that the DRA under the broader rubric of institutional reforms in the water sector has failed to address the question of social inequality, and rather had reinforced and extended the already existing inequity of Indian society to access to safe and secure drinking water in rural areas. The study highlights that participation, cost recovery, full operation and management transfer may be an efficient proposition, but not sustainable in the long run without proper investment in institution building and support from the state, especially in provisioning of basic services like drinking water to rural poor.


2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-182
Author(s):  
Tuwani Petrus Malima

Consistent access to potable water remains a major challenge among communities in rural areas of Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). This is due to the high frequency of water supply infrastructure breakdown due to obsolete infrastructure and inadequate involvement and participation of rural communities in paying for water and maintenance which affect sustainability of water supply system in VDM. This study assesses current state of water supply, challenges and effectiveness of measures in place in order to propose intervention to improve rural water supply system in VDM. The study followed a mixed method research design, which include both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis and chi-square test. The study established that water is inconsistently supplied in VDM. As about 53.5% of the respondents received water once per week which necessitate intervention to improve the situation. All the respondents from the four local municipalities of Vhembe District were not satisfied with the quantity of water received and distance travelled to collect water. The study recommend intervention strategy which included that local management structure to be established and terms of reference agreed with communities including more water supply sources options to be added


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

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.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sekela Twisa ◽  
Manfred F. Buchroithner

In some parts of Africa, rainfall variability has resulted in widespread droughts and floods, thus posing a substantial challenge to water availability in rural areas, especially drinking water. Therefore, due to increasing water demands, increases in the population, and economic development, water supply systems are under constant stress. One of the critical uncertainties surrounding the effects of rainfall variability in Africa is the significant impact that it imposes on rural water supply services. The present study analyzes the trends in annual and seasonal rainfall time series in the Wami River Basin to see if there have been any significant changes in the patterns during the period 1983–2017 and how they affect the access to water supply services in rural areas. The study analyzes the trends of rainfall series of three stations using simple regression, Mann–Kendal Test and Sen’s Slope Estimator. The water point mapping datasets were analyzed considering seasonal variation. The analysis showed a statistically significant positive trend in annual rainfall at Kongwa and March–April–May (MAM) seasonal rainfall at Dakawa. The maximum increase in annual rainfall occurred at Kongwa (5.3 mm year−1) and for MAM seasonal data at Dakawa (4.1 mm year−1). Water points were found to be significantly affected by seasonal changes, both in terms of availability and quality of water. There also exists a strong relationship between rural water services and seasons.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Kalin ◽  
Joseph Mwanamveka ◽  
Andrea Coulson ◽  
Donald Robertson ◽  
Holly Clark ◽  
...  

The concept of Stranded Assets has been used for nearly 50 years across many sectors, most recently it has been a focus of investment portfolios in light of the possible impacts of climate change. However, to date there has been no in-depth determination of the impact of Stranded Assets for rural water supply, despite international development targets from Rio, through Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and now the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The limiting factor for carrying out such an assessment is the requirement of a full and detailed asset register recording all rural water supplies in a country. The Scottish Government Climate Justice Fund Water Futures Programme, in collaboration with the Government of Malawi, is undertaking a comprehensive asset audit across Malawi, and this paper introduces the concept of Stranded Assets for the rural water supply sector using Malawi as an exemplar. Here, we demonstrate how significant change in the implementation strategy for SDGs compared to the MDGs is needed to reduce the potential for Stranded Assets and meet its ultimate aim.


Water Policy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Nisha

This study identifies the factors which influence user participation in community-based rural water supply schemes in north Kerala, using primary data. To capture the rate of participation, two forms of indices were constructed: one to measure attendance in group meetings, and the other to measure their influence on decisions. The relative importance of factors such as locality, group and household characteristics that affect participation were analysed using linear regression models. Of the three sets of factors, it was found that household characteristics were the most influential. The analysis shows that males actively participated in group meetings. Level of education and involvement of households in other local organizations were the other major factors affecting participation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (78) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Jorge Alejandro Silva Rodríguez de San Miguel

The supply of water to rural areas has historically provided the Mexican government with a significant challenge. Years of uncertainty in relation to responsibility for water supply, as well as geographical differences across the country and a division between rural and urban areas, explain this phenomenon. I have reviewed in this paper a substantial proportion of the literature on this topic, the reasons behind its nature, and the solutions to the problem in Mexico, as my main aim. The key conclusion is that while improvements in rural water supply in Mexico have been made, further work is required for equality in its supply.


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