scholarly journals Assessing water service performances in rural sub-Saharan Africa environment: The cases studies of two councils of the southern and eastern regions of the Republic of Cameroon (Central Africa)

Author(s):  
Victor Dang Mvongo ◽  
Célestin Defo

Abstract This study uses multi-criteria analysis to assess water services performance provided to rural communities. The approach is based on five indicators (water availability, water quality, accessibility, affordability, and reliability) and allows the assessment of service levels. The indicators used provided a solid baseline for water services to identify a strategy for the improvement and achievement of universal access to water. We empirically applied the approach to rural water services in Cameroon and particularly in Mvangan and Mandjou Councils. A total of 77 water services has been investigated through technical inspection (water point inspection, flow measurement, and water quality analysis), semi-structured interviews with the technical services of these councils and surveys with water point committees, including 25 in Mandjou Council and 52 in Mvangan Council. The main results show that 43.40% of villages have enhanced services in Mvangan Council while only 4.76% of services are enhanced in Mandjou Council. Results also suggests that monitoring rural water services can improve the levels of services provided to populations and, hence, universal access to water. These assessments represent only a current snapshot of potable water delivery system conditions and should be conducted at regular intervals to track changes in overall and local conditions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Sutton ◽  
John Butterworth

While governments and development partners focus on improving community and utility-managed water supplies to ensure access for all, hundreds of millions of people are taking actions to supply their own water. In the WASH sector household investment in construction and improvement of facilities is widely employed in sanitation but in water similar efforts are ignored. Recognition of the contribution of self-supply towards universal access to water and its full potential, is hampered by a lack of data, analysis and guidance. This well-reasoned source book highlights the magnitude of the contribution of self-supply to urban and rural water provision world-wide, and the gains that are possible when governments recognise and support household-led supply development and up-grading. With limited public finances in low- (and many middle-) income countries, self-supply can fill gaps in public provision, especially amongst low-density rural populations. The book focuses on sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the greatest predicted shortfall in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water. Household supplies can be created, or accelerated to basic or safely managed levels, through approaches that build on the investment and actions of families, with the availability of technology options and cost-effective support from the private and public sectors. The role of self-supply needs greater recognition and a change in mindset of governments, development partners and practitioners if water services are to be extended to all and no-one is to be left behind.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Success Esomchi Obi ◽  
Sunny Odikpa ◽  
Edegbo Sunday Jeremiah ◽  
Abubakar Yakubu Emeje ◽  
Onuche Godwin

Famers’- Herders’ conflict has become a widespread occurrence spreading to all parts of Nigeria. The study examined how farmers-herdsmen conflict constitutes a threat to rural development, internal security, and socio-economic development in Nigeria about Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. The study adopted the qualitative method making use of semi-structured interviews and 100 informants were purposively selected. Findings from the study revealed among others that; Crop damage by cattle, land encroachment without permission, inadequate grazing reserves, lack of access to water points, killing of stray cattle, pollution of the water point, cattle routes blockage, Mbororo migrants, ECOWAS treaty, fertile land of the host community, socio-economic, cultural differences, the political economy of cattle herders were major causes and persistence of farmers-pastoralists conflicts. The study among others recommends that; since farmers-pastoralists conflicts were resource-based conflict due to blockage of cattle route by farmers which eventually leads to encroachment of farmers land and thus translate to open violence and animosity, there is a need for resignification of cattle routes for the pastoralist to have a route to avoid farmlands encroachment, regarding the transit route for irregular migrants through Niger, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Chad, Cameroon, it is suggested that the Minister of Interior should initiate dialogue with the neighboring governments on how to address and curb the rising number of migrants transiting border Nations. Based on the study findings, to end this crisis once and for all, there is a need for the consideration of cattle colonies implementation while implementing former recommendations.


Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 925-942
Author(s):  
Hans C. Komakech ◽  
Lukas Kwezi ◽  
Mansoor Ali

Abstract Poor sustainability of rural water schemes is a major problem in service delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. About half of the schemes fail one year after commissioning, mostly due to poor operation and maintenance. Many communities fail to collect and manage water revenue. Prepaid technologies are argued to remedy the poor water revenue management. However, it is not clear to what extent prepaid systems can contribute to the sustainability of rural water schemes. This paper assessed the performance of three different cases where prepaid technologies were used in Tanzania. Although the technologies used can simplify water revenue collection, they are not a panacea to deliver sustainable and equitable water services. The capital cost of the prepaid system is often paid for by donors, which is not being recovered, hence the notion of cost recovery is biased here. Also, a strong institutional capacity and knowledge is required alongside the technology. Therefore, the technology which is being promoted as better for improving cost recovery is, instead, causing a burden on water users.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Kelly ◽  
Ryan Cronk ◽  
Michael Fisher ◽  
Jamie Bartram

AbstractIn sub-Saharan Africa, over half of the population is exposed to contaminated drinking water. The WHO recommends both sanitary inspection and water quality analysis to assess the risk of water source contamination, but the relationship between these tools is poorly understood. We explore the relationship between sanitary inspection and water quality analysis using data from 1028 boreholes with handpumps in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Sanitary inspection scores and E. coli occurrence were compared using the models described in published literature, and an alternative model that better reflects causal pathways of contamination. In the alternative model, sanitary risk factors were categorized as contamination sources, carriers, or barrier breakdowns, and the relationships between risk factor combinations and E. coli occurrence were assessed. We found no associations between sanitary risk score and E. coli occurrence using either the established or alternative model. These results confirm that sanitary inspections and microbial analyses convey distinct information, and perfect correlation is neither expected nor desired. The alternative model demonstrated a slightly better model fit than most established models, and the model fit further improved when the occurrence of rainfall in the past two days was added as a carrier. We recommend that: implementers train water system operators to conduct sanitary inspection; and researchers work to improve our understanding of the effect of individual sanitary risk factors, as well as incorporate contextual data into their assessments of sanitary inspection and water quality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melita Grant ◽  
Tim Foster ◽  
Dao Van Dinh ◽  
Juliet Willetts ◽  
Georgia Davis

Abstract Sustaining rural water services in Viet Nam requires an improved understanding of the costs and relative opportunities, especially given the government's support for private sector involvement in expanding water schemes. In particular, the life-cycle costs associated with the delivery of safe and sustainable water services in rural Viet Nam, as indeed elsewhere, are not well known, potentially compromising their long-term sustainability. To address this gap, this study assessed the cost structures of 14 water schemes in Viet Nam managed by private enterprises. Results showed that both capital and operational expenditures varied widely across the schemes assessed, reflective of the diversity of the age and characteristics of the schemes studied. Twelve of the 14 schemes generated a cash profit in the most recent calendar year; however, when taking into account depreciation, as well as historical subsidies and connection fee payments, only four of the schemes were profitable based on a 20-year design life assumption. The study complements previous research demonstrating barriers to achieving universal access when relying on user-pays systems. The results provide a useful reference point to inform business planning for enterprises, as well as policy and support mechanisms important for securing sustainable rural water supply services.


Water SA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob C Mkandawire ◽  
Mavuto Tembo ◽  
Muthi Nhlema ◽  
Joel Luhanga ◽  
Rochelle H Holm

Innovation is needed to develop rural water supply to support sub-Saharan Africa communities that are hard to reach. The purpose of this study was to critically review rope and washer pumps that have been installed on manually drilled boreholes in 48 communities as part of a pilot project in Rumphi District, Malawi, and which serve as a sustainable source of drinking water from both technical (water quality and functionality) and social (user satisfaction) perspectives. At each water source, an infrastructure checklist was used (n = 48); 10 users were interviewed (n = 472); and, if the pump had water, water quality samples were collected (n = 24). The results show that use of a professional driller does not guarantee a functioning rope and washer pump that produces safe water. Where the pumps were functional, most provided safe drinking water. However, only 8% (4/48) of pumps had good water quality, a flow rate of >20 L/min and a full consensus of positive satisfaction among users. Pumps are not necessarily working better or worse in more remote areas. A process of introducing and creating evaluative guidelines for new (approved) technologies for rural water supply has not been established in Malawi. Sub-Saharan African governments need to be open to innovative solutions while making sure that standards, including those for functionality, water quality, user satisfaction, private operators, and human capacity for local government regulators, are being followed to ensure safe water for rural communities.


Waterlines ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Katherine Wedgwood
Keyword(s):  

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