Academic literature on the topic 'Rural Water Supply Development Project (Kenya)'

Abstract Over a dozen studies have examined how households who travel to collect water (about one-quarter of humanity) make choices about where and how much to collect. There is little evidence, however, that these studies have informed rural water supply planning in anything but a qualitative way. In this paper, we describe a new web-based decision support tool that planners or community members can use to simulate scenarios such as (1) price, quality, or placement changes of existing sources, (2) the closure of an existing source, or (3) the addition of a new source. We describe the analytical structure of the model and then demonstrate its possibilities using data from a recent study in rural Meru County, Kenya. We discuss some limits of the current model, and encourage readers and practitioners to explore it and suggest ways in which it could be improved or used most effectively.

The Kafr El Sheikh Water Supply Project is a comprehensive endeavour to provide the physical and institutional resources for an effective and sustainable water supply system for 2 million persons in a developing rural Governorate in the Delta region of Egypt. The paper describes the aims of the Management Component, the institutional development of an integrated water supply and sewerage company and the main activities to-date. These include training, operational improvements, health education and finance development. Further support is required until all engineering and institutional development work has been completed.

The Government of Cameroon's lack of priority for rural water supply has motivated rural communities to harness their internal capacity and networks for self-help community water supply projects. The emerging paradigm of joint water supply projects between communities in rural Cameroon and large corporations, with both parties as principal beneficiaries (unlike self-help projects where the principal beneficiary is the community), is examined. Our findings, based on the Mautu community and the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) joint project, suggest that this paradigm can be an attractive alternative for rural communities to gain access to piped water systems. However, to ensure long term performance of the rural community's distribution network, the more experienced corporate partner should negotiate a fair agreement, integrate capacity building for operation and maintenance, and include future growth and increased demand in the design of the community's network. Significant inequity during design of the supply to the two partners can lead to the dysfunction of the community system and trigger the perception of profiteering by the corporate partner resulting in subsequent vandalism. It is recommended that such joint partnerships be regulated and that local institutions working with rural communities should educate them on available support services.

At present, our country has entered a new era. The report of the 19th National Congress of CPC pointed out that we must always put the top priority of the Party’s work on solving the problem of agriculture, rural areas and farmers. The safety of rural water supply safety is the direct and realistic interest-related problem that the rural masses most concern. In the new era, we should further strengthen the safety work of rural water supply, gradually promote the integration of urban and rural water supply, and effectively solve the increasingly serious safety-related demand of water supply of villagers and the contradiction caused by uneven and insufficient development of urban and rural water supply. Binxian County is located in the water shortage area in the west of China. The management model of "urbanizing rural water supply" that the county explored to establish has effectively solved the problem about the construction, operation and maintenance of rural water supply project. It accords with the development idea of rural water supply in the new era, and its successful experience can be duplicated and popularized in Shaanxi Province and even in the whole country.

This paper compares rural water supply (RWS) and sanitation project schemes where national policies on RWS had been adopted against schemes constructed by public authorities as part of the General Authority for RWS Project. This evaluation tests the policies and provides a comparison of donor supported and government projects. The results indicate that policies will result in relatively high levels of beneficiary satisfaction and will increase the likelihood that the communities will sustain the systems over their design lives. More confidence in Water User Associations as governing and management bodies for water schemes is medium and more transparent selection processes are required. Although beneficiaries are agreeing to and paying tariffs that cover operation and maintenance costs, it affects the quantity of water they use and leads to negative health impact. High percentages of respondents have expressed dissatisfaction with current water charges, water quantity and water quality. Findings suggest that RWS Project's strategy for developing communities' capacity and meaningful involvement in planning and managing their own water systems is effective, however, progress is needed in two areas: RWS subsector still lacks a clearly agreed strategy and a demand-responsive approach should be adopted strictly in all programs.

The paper provides a case study of rural water supply in Fayoum. First, the present state-of-affairs is described and analyzed with respect to production, consumption and coverage. A water balance is drawn up and the projected trends up to the year 2000 are indicated. Nearly full coverage has been achieved already but still more than 50% of the population is served by public standposts. Considerable demand for house connections is apparent. Based on the present trend it is expected that by the year 2000, 75% of the population could be served by private connections, provided sufficient production capacity becomes available. Secondly, the focus is on organization and finance with special attention to cost recovery. Estimates for present billing efficiency and the Unaccounted For Water (UFW) percentages are provided. With the perceived trend in the growth of house connections and decline of public taps there is ample potential to reduce UFW, provided an efficient billing and fee collection system is introduced and leakage is controlled. With the reduction of UFW by “technical” measures half of the cost recovery target can be achieved. The other half has to come from tariff increases. Experience is drawn from the Netherlands-supported Fayoum Drinking Water and Sanitation Project (FADWS) which started in 1990.

Access to safe drinking water supply in Ethiopia is among the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. While both governmental and non-governmental organizations have implemented water supply projects in recent years, many fail shortly after construction due to improper management. In this paper, we examine socio-economic, institutional and exogenous factors affecting household participation in the management of water supply systems for drinking purposes. A survey was carried out involving 16 water supply systems and 160 households within the Achefer area, in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. The results show that household contributions to water supply system management are positively and significantly affected by user participation during the project design and implementation, by advocacy provided by the project and by greater household income. Thus, for drinking water systems in rural areas to be sustainable, these factors should be included when planning water supply projects.

The Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) is considered to have been the most viable long-term alternative to ease the chronic water shortage situation within the Kathmandu Valley. The project has launched the separate project 'Social Upliftment Project' to improve the quality of life of community people. Besides that the project has divided its support field as buffer zone, health, education, income generation and rural electrification etc. to make the program more effective. So, the study aim is to explore the impact of Melamchi Water Supply Project in socio-economic status of local people of study areas. The study was conducted among the 8 VDCs of Sindhupalchowak district. Total, 404 respondents were selected randomly. The study found that MWSP had contributed in the field of agriculture, improving economic status of community people, education, infrastructure development and off-seasonal vegetable farming for income generating activities. There was a significant difference between the respondents of different VDCs regarding the contribution of MWSP. The Social Upliftment Program of MWSP should be continued and needed to extend in other hard-to-reach areas of district.

Gender mainstreaming in the water sector in Malawi was analyzed using the Mzimba Integrated Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (IRWSS) project as a case in point. Information required for the study was obtained through interviews, administering a set of questionnaires and data collecting from existing documents. The results show that women in decision-making positions at head office of the Ministry responsible for water affairs only constitute about 11.1%. Assessment of the budget allocations has revealed that previously no budgetary allocations were made for gender issues, and that since the 2006/07 fiscal year about US$14,286 was allocated for gender mainstreaming. Women's involvement in local governance institutions and project activities in Mzimba is generally high. Most local water committees have 60% women and 40% men, whereas participation in project activities is highly rated at 97.2%. To improve gender balance, the Ministry responsible for water has to work with stakeholders in the education sector. Besides, great disparities still exist between men's and women's participation in water projects at a local level (97.2% for women) and a person's socioeconomic position greatly affects their inclusion in the local governance structures. Addressing these issues would, therefore, result in better gender integration in the water sector.

The meeting of the basic needs of people, particularly the poor, has come to be an important focus of rural development efforts in the Third World. This is largely due to the realization that the benefits of previous development efforts have not reached the poor. The basic needs concept of development places the focus on the ends of development. This means a direct attack on poverty through meeting the basic human requirements of the neediest segment of society, the poor. There are two approaches that can be taken when one adopts the basic needs concept as the theoretical framework for a project. The first is a top down effort concerned with satisfying basic needs as quickly as possible and is referred to in this thesis as a technocratic approach to meeting basic needs. The second is concerned with developing a sustainable project based on the community so that it can continue to meet its basic needs and is referred to in this thesis as a community development approach to meeting basic needs. The purpose of this thesis is to identify those elements in the planning process that contribute to the success of efforts to meet basic needs in developing countries. Success is defined as the meeting of immediate and long term water needs leading to improvements in health, economic and social conditions of communities. To accomplish this objective a literature review of efforts to meet the basic need of water is undertaken. The focus is on identifying elements found in the literature, dominated by advocates of the community development approach to meeting basic needs, which contributed to the success of rural water supply projects in providing an adequate supply of water to the poor. These success elements can be grouped in the following five categories: appropriate knowledge; appropriate technology; appropriate institutions; appropriate support; and community participation. The assumption articulated by most writers is that each of these five elements is an essential part of a community development approach to meeting basic needs. There is very little in the literature on the technocratic approach, yet it is used in practice. A case study of a rural water supply project in Kenya, East Africa, which used a technocratic approach, was undertaken with the expectation that it would show a lack of success because of its failure to include the five elements of the community development approach. In fact, the project was found to be a success. However, the study did reveal that the planners involved in the project now believe that, for the long run sustainability of the project, it is vital to make the five elements of the community development approach an essential part of the project. The main conclusion of the thesis is that a project using a technocratic approach to meeting basic needs can succeed in the short run but that for this project to continue to be successful there comes a point where the elements assumed to be part of the community development approach to meeting basic needs must be included.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of
Graduate

This research study addresses the problem of whether local government can afford free basic water in rural areas. To achieve this objective a comprehensive literature study was performed, which included: · Lessons in water sector approaches from international experience and how these experiences compare with the South African situation. 1.The current basic water supply legislation in South Africa and how this legislation affects the subsidy arrangements and the financing of free basic water. 2.The operation and maintenance cost and the benefits of effective operation and maintenance of water supply schemes. A model was developed that could estimate the cost of rural water supply per household per month from the operation and maintenance data that was collected over a period of twenty-two months from a water supply scheme. As part of the provision of free basic water, a nine-step flow chart was developed to determine rural water operation and maintenance subsidy and a free basic water policy to help local government make informed decisions. The model was tested on different water supply schemes to verify the accuracy of the models estimation of the cost of rural water supply per household per month. The information obtained from the literature and from the test of the model resulted in various recommendations and conclusions.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the past, development projects were not successful, because development was guided by top-down strategy that excluded the main beneficiaries from the process of development. The creative initiative, local knowledge, and inputs of communities were not considered as a development resource. Hence, development programmes were not participatory, and could not solve social problems, rather they contributed to poverty and dependency. This condition gave rise to new thinking that unless communities participate in development efforts, no social transformation can be achieved. Moreover, the scarcity of resources in developing countries called for the mobilization of all stakeholders' resources in the cause of development action. As a result, community participation emerged as a new paradigm of development. Development has become a humanizing process; projects are people-driven; and communities are the subjects of development projects. Nevertheless, in order for community participation to meet the challenges of development, this has to be a multidimensional approach that integrates the building blocks of development. Against this background, in the context of water supply, the experience of developing countries indicates that the effectiveness of water supply projects is improved when communities participate in all phases of water supply projects. Moreover, community owned and managed water supply projects are better constructed, cost effective, and successful than government subsidized projects. Nevertheless, the role of government in enabling and supporting is essential. The study is an evaluation research, which aims to assess whether community participation is in place, and whether the delivery of water supply is enhanced as a result of community participation. The study area is in Galanefhi, a sub-region in Eritrea. At eleven villages in the sub-region, water supply projects that were constructed in the past twelve years are assessed to evaluate if community participation is in place and its effect on the water supply system. During the course of this study, interviews were conducted with 221 respondents of both sexes from the age of 28 years using open and closed-ended questionnaires. In addition, discussions were conducted with community representatives and government officials on issues of community participation and safe water delivery. Findings of the study indicate that the level of community participation differs within the villages and from one phase of the project to another. There is more community participation in implementation and less in planning. Decision-making is dominated by the water committees and local officials. The major missing ingredient is the level of capacity building. Communities' capacity to manage and operate the water supply system is limited. The institutional and administrative frameworks of the villages regarding water supply is weak. The regional and sub-region authorities' capacity that implements and oversees water supply projects is not strong. Communication between the grassroots and central authorities is not good. This is aggravated by natural conditions like climate and environment, and by the lack of skilled human resources, financial drawbacks, and lack of coordination. Nevertheless, overall assessment shows that water supply projects that enjoy more community participation are more successful and sustainable and more capable of meeting communities' expectations. Therefore, sustainable clean and adequate water delivery can be achieved through community participation in collaboration with all stakeholders. The recommendations which are provided give some insights on how to implement community participation as a strategy on the ground.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die verlede was ontwikkelingsprojekte dikwels onsuksesvolomdat ontwikkeling oorheers is deur die bo-na-onder ("top-down") strategie wat die hoof voordeeltrekkers uitgesluit het uit die proses van ontwikkeling. Die skeppende inisiatief, plaaslike kennis en die insette van die gemeenskappe is nie as 'n hulpbron beskou nie. Dus was die ontwikkelingsprogramme nie deelhebbend van aard nie en kon hulle nie sosiale probleme oplos nie. Dit het eerder bygedra tot armoede en afhanklikheid. Hierdie toestand het gelei tot 'n nuwe denkrigting, naamlik dat, tensy gemeenskappe deelneem aan ontwikkelingspogings, geen sosiale transformasie sal plaasvind nie. Weens die skaarsheid van hulpbronne in ontwikkelende lande is die mobilisasaie van al die deelhebbers se hulpbronne nodig vir ontwikkelingsaksie. Gevolglik het gemeenskapsdeelname te vore getree as die nuwe paradigma van ontwikkeling. Ontwikkeling is meer op die mens gerig; projekte word deur die mens gedryf; en gemeenskappe IS die onderwerp van die ontwikkelingsprojekte. Nietemin, as gemeenskapsdeelname die uitdagings van ontwikkeling te bowe wil kom, moet daar 'n multidimensionele benadering wees wat die boustene van ontwikkeling integreer. Teen hierdie agtergrond, en in die konteks van watervoorsiening, het die ondervindings in ontwikkelende lande aangedui dat die effektiwiteit van watervoorsieningsprojekte verbeter as die gemeenskap deelneem aan al die fases van die projek. Ook is watervoorsieningsprojekte wat deur die gemeenskap besit en bestuur word, beter gebou, meer koste-effektief, en meer suksesvol as projekte wat deur die regering subsideer is. Nietemin is die rol van die regering onontbeerlik waar dit die projekte moontlik maak en ondersteun. Hierdie studie is evaluasie-navorsing wat ten doel het om vas te stel tot watter mate gemeenskapdeelname bestaan en of die voorsiening van water verbeter het as gevolg van die deelname. Die studiegebied is in Galanefhi, 'n substeek van Eritrea. Daar is by elf dorpies in hierdie streek tydens die laaste twaalf jaar watervoorsieningspunte opgerig. Hierdie projekte is evalueer om vas te stel hoeveel gemeenskapdeelname daar was en die effek daarvan op die watervoorsiening. Tydens die studie is onderhoude gevoer met 221 respondente, mans en vrouens, bo 28. Daar is gebruik gemaak van vraelyste. Ook is daar besprekings gevoer met verteenwoordigers van gemeenskappe en regeringsamptenare oor kwessies soos gemeenskapsdeelname en die voorsiening van veilige drinkwater. Daar is gevind dat die vlak van deelname verskil van dorpie tot dorpie en van een fase van die projek tot die volgende. Daar is meer gemeenskapsdeelname in implementasie en minder in beplanning. Besluitneming word oorheers deur waterkomitees en plaaslike amptenare. Daar is me 'n hoë vlak van vermoë-bou me. Die vermoë van die gemeenskap om die watervoorsieningsisteem te bestuur is beperk en die administratiewe raamwerk van die dorpies betreffende watervoorsiening is swak. Die vermoë van die owerhede op streek- en substreekvlak, asook die kommunikasie tussen die sentrale owerhede en die gewone inwoners is nie na wense nie. Hierdie toestande word vererger deur die klimaat en die omgewingsfaktore, die gebrek aan geskoolde werkers, finansiële probleme en die gebrek aan koërdinasie, Nietemin is daar in die algemeen vasgestel dat die watervoorsieningsprojekte waar daar meer gemeenskapsdeelname was, meer suksesvol is, en beter aan die gemeenskap se verwagtinge voldoen. Die waterpunte word ook langer in 'n goeie werkende toestand gehou. Dus kan die voorsiening van genoeg skoon water bereik word deur die deelname van die gemeenskap en die samewerking van al diegene wat belang het by die projek. Aan die einde van die studie word daar aanbeveel hoe om gemeenskapsdeelname op grondvlak te implementeer.

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2007
The aim of this inquiry was to analyze the role played by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in service delivery, i.e. supply water in the northern region of the Limpopo Province. Not much research has been conducted in this field especially in the Limpopo Province. Public Services are not a privilege in a civilized and democratic society, but are a legitimate expectation. Hence, meeting the basic needs of all citizens is one of the five key programmes of the government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). From the literature review, it was evident that service delivery is essential in the communities, and, as such, government departments and municipalities have a critical role to play. The study also aimed to examine the problems and challenges the community faced during the construction of the community development programme. It reflected on the importance of consultation, project management and even feedback as a point of departure in showing both to the department and the municipality the attitudes and perceptions of communities and their level of satisfaction with regard to the effectiveness of service delivery. In order to achieve this goal, an interview was conducted with various interviewees. The participants ranged from the youth to the elderly citizens in the community, and the government officials. The main patterns that emerged from the collected data related to the dissatisfaction of the community about the lack of consultation. It would be advisable for government, especially municipalities, to take cognizance of the results and concerns in an effort to improve and ensure the effective service delivery as stipulated in the Reconstruction and Development Programme document.
Limpopo Legislature

Inadequate resources have always been suspected to be the main cause of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in many developing countries. Water is one such resource that is not readily available to many in South Africa. South Africa is a water-scarce country; access to adequate water provisions requires expensive infrastructure which can only be provided by the Government for most of the population. It is not certain whether there is a direct link between access to water and development or poverty alleviation. This study evaluated the impact that state water provision has on development especially in rural communities. The study concluded that there is indeed potential for community development where there is improved access to water. Findings further revealed the nature of several other variables that have significant roles in the relationship between access to government provided water and development.
Development Studies
M.A. (Development Studies)

In the context of the post-apartheid era and under the new Government of National Unity, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) was initiated in 1994. To assist in the realisation of the goals of this programme the macro-economic strategy, Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR), was implemented in 1996. It was within these frameworks that the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) launched its Working for Water (WFW) programme in October 1995. This programme was based on three pillars, namely: enhancing water supply and water security; creating jobs, building communities and improving quality of life and; conserving ecological functioning and biological diversity. Since October 1995 the Working for Water Programme has created 42 059 jobs, 220 884 hectares have been cleared with follow-up clearing in 55 731 hectares as part of the programme strategy to enhance water supply. Investment has been made in 240 projects, with a budget of R365 147 259 as at 31 March 1998. The impact of the Turn Table Trust WFW Project, a sub-project of the Central Umkomaas WFW Project, was examined in terms of fuelwood supply and household income of three small rural communities, namely: Xosheyakhe, Intabamakhaba and Mkhohlwa, referred to in this dissertation as the Rural Bulwer community. The research was carried out by means of questionnaire interviews and a workshop held at the Pholela Tribal court. The results of this study indicate that the Bulwer community depend on four energy types, in order of importance; wood, paraffin, dung and electricity. Many of the households perceive that, since the Turn Table Trust WFW Project began in the area in November 1995, there is less wood available and trees which are used for fuelwood are being cleared. Certain areas have felt the impacts of the clearingprogramme. People who have access to electricity still rely on fuelwood as they can not afford to use electricity exclusively. Indigenous forests are important as a source of fuelwood and for the harvesting of medicinal plants. The indigenous forests could be put under severe stress if wattle becomes unavailable forfuelwood purposes. The impact of the Turn Table Trust WFW Project on the fuelwood supply of the Bulwer community is small at present, but likely to increase. Households that have members employed by the Project, rely on this income to cover most household expenses. These households struggle to survive if or when employment by the Turn Table Trust WFW Project is periodically terminated. The businesses in Bulwer have also come to rely on the income earned by those employed by the Project. The Working for Water programme has far reaching implications for a local community and its surrounds and these need to be taken into account when both beginning and, importantly, ending a project in an area.
Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Botswana is a water scarce country. Rainfall is highly variable, leading to limited surface and groundwater resources. Due to persistently dry conditions most rivers found in Botswana are ephemeral. The Boteti River sub-Basin is one of the numerous ephemeral river sub-Basins, in Botswana. Key environmental challenges, resulting from human activities, in the sub-Basin are: increased pressure on local resources due to overstocking, overgrazing and over-harvesting; reductions in wildlife numbers; denudation of vegetation and the resultant exposure of the soil to wind erosion. As a major step, to pilot implementation of river basin management in the ephemeral river basins in southern Africa, the Boteti River sub-Basin is one of the key areas identified for study under the Ephemeral River Basins in the Southern African Development Community SADC (ERBSADC) Project. This study was initiated, as part of the ERB-SADC project and its aim is to investigate the socio-economic status of the Boteti River sub-Basin and determine the potential for developing integrated management of water and land resources in the sub- Basin. Its key objectives are to identify and assess types and patterns of water use; to identify and assess key livelihood activities; and to critically assess community participation in water resources management in the sub-Basin. A questionnaire was administered to 293 households, a focus group discussion was held with twelve community representatives of six villages in the sub-Basin, six traditional leaders and five local government officers were interviewed as key informants, and informal discussions were held with three local farmers. Results from the study indicate low livelihood levels based on livestock and arable agriculture, high dependence on natural resources and low participation of communities in water management. The study concludes that a livelihood approach to integrated water resources management can help deal with environmental challenges and enhance community participation.
Environmental Sciences
Thesis (M.A. (Environmental Science))

Kenya, just like other developing countries of the world, is energy deficient. Power supply is characterized by flaws including inaccessibility by marginalized rural communities, high cost of electricity, power outages, and over-reliance on biomass and hydropower sources. Despite these trends, the country has great potential to produce green energy including wind, biofuels, solar, and geothermal power in excess of the entire country's demand. This chapter explores the status of each of these green energy sources and their production potential using in Kenya. Findings show that the production capacity for all of the sources is high though limited tapping and harnessing of these energy resources is done. This could be attributable to lack of exploitation technology and expertise, huge capital investments involved and the uncertainty on the effects of these renewable energy sources to food and water security. For optimal exploitation, Kenya must invest in the energy sector hugely to enhance technical know-how on its development and cater for the associated financial opportunity costs.

Rise in human population, industrialization, urbanization, intensified agriculture and forestry pose considerable risks to water supply and quality both on global and regional scale. While freshwater resources are abundant in Latvia, during recent years increased attention has been devoted to water quality in relation to anthropogenic impacts. Forest cover in Latvia equals 52% and forest management and forest infrastructure building and maintenance are among the activities that may, directly or indirectly, affect water quality in headwater catchments. Sedimentation, eutrophication and export of hazardous substances, especially mercury (Hg), are of highest concern. To address these topics, several initiatives have started recently. In 2011, cooperation programme between Latvian State Forest Research Institute (LSFRI) “Silava” and JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” was launched to evaluate the impact of forest management on the environment. This programme included research on the efficiency of water protection structures used at drainage system maintenance (sedimentation ponds, overland flow) and regeneration felling (bufferzones). In 2016, within the second stage of this cooperation programme, a study on the impact of forest management on water quality (forest road construction, drainage system maintenance, felling) was started on a catchment scale. Since 2016 LSFRI Silava is partner in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme project “Water management in Baltic forests”. By focusing on drainage systems, riparian zones and beaver activity, this project aims at reducing nutrient and Hg export from forestry sites to streams and lakes. While this project mostly has a demonstration character, it will also offer novel results on Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in beaver ponds in all participating states. This paper aims at summarizing most important challenges related to the impact of forest management on water quality and corresponding recent initiatives striving to offer solutions.

Water safety planning is considered an international best practice for assessing and managing public health risks from drinking water supply systems. Under the West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project and in close collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank assisted in developing these water safety planning guidelines for the state of West Bengal. This document offers practical guidance for taking a water safety planning approach to bulk water supply systems, particularly in developing and implementing the stages of rural drinking water delivery service schemes in India and elsewhere.