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).

Design of rural water systems using dynamic models

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-231
Author(s):  
A. H. Lobbrecht
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Water System ◽  
Design Procedure ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Design Methods ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Rural Water Systems ◽  
The Way

The properties of main water ways and infrastructure of rural water systems are often determined by very general design methods. These methods are based on standards that use only little information of the actual water system. Most design methods applied in the Netherlands are based on land use and soil texture. Standards have been developed on the basis of generalized properties of water systems. Details of the actual layout of the water system and the way in which that system is controlled, are usually not incorporated. Present-day dynamic simulation programs and the computer power currently available enable more detailed modeling and incorporation of location-specific data into models. Such models can be used to design the water system and can include real data. A model-based design method is introduced, in which the actual situation of the water system is taken into consideration as well as the way in which the water system is controlled. Stochastics concerning the operation and availability of controlling infrastructure are included in the method. Models can be evaluated by including real data. In this way the actual safety of the water system, for example during floods, can be determined. Water-quantity design criteria can be incorporated as well as water-quality criteria. Application of the method makes it possible to design safe water systems in which excess capacities are avoided and in which all requirements of interest are met. The method, called the ‘dynamic design procedure’, can result in considerable savings for water authorities when new systems have to be designed or existing designs have to be reconsidered.

scholarly journals Willingness to Pay for Improved Operations and Maintenance Services of Gravity-Fed Water Schemes in Idjwi Island (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1050
Author(s):  
Ruben Jimenez-Redal ◽  
Germán Arana-Landín ◽  
Beñat Landeta ◽  
Jaime Larumbe
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Conditioning Factors ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Operations And Maintenance ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Log Linear ◽  
Rural Water Systems

Developing understanding of the economic value that communities ascribe to improved operations and maintenance (O&M) services has emerged as a key factor in achieving financial sustainability for rural water systems. The present study elicits household willingness to pay (WTP) for improved O&M services in eight gravity-fed water schemes in Idjwi Island (Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC). A contingent valuation survey was implemented through an open-ended format questionnaire to 1105 heads of household and a log-linear regression model was employed to assess the factors influencing higher values. Findings show an average willingness to pay of 327 Congolese Francs (CDF) per month and 36 CDF per bucket. Results also indicate a significant WTP differential among studied schemes. The analysis of the conditioning factors reveals that the level of excludability, the participation in management meetings and the time employed in fetching water from an improved source are contingent with their WTP. The findings of this study are important for development agents trying to establish acceptable, affordable and practicable tariffs that help finance reliable rural water systems in Idjwi.

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.

Adapting to climate change with water savings and water reuse

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Water Savings ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Climate Change Risks ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Rural Water Systems

Climate change due to global warming will reduce river flows across much of Australia and reduce the yield of existing urban and rural water systems. These reductions are additional to yield reductions that have flowed from the allocation of more water for environmental flows under national water reforms, and the severity of the 2001-2007 drought in southern Australia. Australian water authorities are adapting to these changes by implementing extensive water savings programs and by developing new water sources including water reuse, stormwater and desalination as well as traditional river and groundwater sources. The paper describes two case studies and discusses how stochastic analysis of system scenarios can help identify drought and climate change risks and the economic benefits of water reuse.

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