scholarly journals Urban household water resilience and source selection in Nepal pre- and post-disaster

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadhana Shrestha ◽  
Yoko Aihara ◽  
Arun P. Bhattarai ◽  
Niranjan Bista ◽  
Naoki Kondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
2015 Gorkha Earthquake ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Urban areas in low- and middle-income countries are under chronic water stress, and multiple water source use (MWSU) is common. A detailed study on MWSU is necessary for strengthening water security and enhancing household water resilience to natural disasters which is defined as the ability of a household water system that is exposed to a disaster to resist, accommodate, and recover efficiently in a short time. Surveys were conducted in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, before and after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. A classification of resilient and non-resilient households was based on respondents' perception scores of their water systems before the earthquake and one month after. Around 80% of households used two to three water sources, and 70% of households were classified as water resilient. Three characteristics of a water resilient household were: (i) use of greater number of water sources, (ii) use of multiple reliable water sources such as piped water, groundwater, and (iii) use of effective adaptive strategies such as water storage in a bigger container. Since the study showed the practice of MWSU enhanced the resilience, protection and management of local water sources (well, spring, stone spouts) by initiatives of local government or communities or both is recommended.

scholarly journals Cost and financial sustainability of a household-based water treatment and storage intervention in Zambia

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anyana Banerjee ◽  
Deborah A. McFarland ◽  
Ritu Singh ◽  
Robert Quick
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Water System ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
Safe Water ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Program Costs ◽  
And Behavior

Providing safe water to >1 billion people in need is a major challenge. To address this need, the Safe Water System (SWS) - household water treatment with dilute bleach, safe water storage, and behavior change - has been implemented in >20 countries. To assess the potential sustainability of the SWS, we analyzed costs in Zambia of “Clorin” brand product sold in bottles sufficient for a month of water treatment at a price of $0.09. We analyzed production, marketing, distribution, and overhead costs of Clorin before and after sales reached nationwide scale, and analyzed Clorin sales revenue. The average cost per bottle of Clorin production, marketing and distribution at start-up in 1999 was $1.88 but decreased by 82% to $0.33 in 2003, when >1.7 million bottles were sold. The financial loss per bottle decreased from $1.72 in 1999 to $0.24 in 2003. Net program costs in 2003 were $428,984, or only $0.04 per person-month of protection. A sensitivity analysis showed that if the bottle price increased to $0.18, the project would be self-sustaining at maximum capacity. This analysis demonstrated that efficiencies in the SWS supply chain can be achieved through social marketing. Even with a subsidy, overall program costs per beneficiary are low.

scholarly journals Water balance modelling of alternate water sources at the household scale

2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 1873-1879 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Hunt ◽  
Martin Anda ◽  
Goen Ho
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Small House

Alternate water sources are being implemented in urban areas to augment scheme water supplied by a water utility to homes. These sources include residential wells, rainwater tanks and greywater systems. Greater water efficiency can be achieved when these systems are designed to match a water source to a given demand based on both water quantity and quality parameters. In this way the use of an alternate water source can be maximised and the use of the high quality scheme water minimised. This paper examines the use of multiple alternate water sources sequentially to supply the same demand point potentially optimising the use of all available water sources. It also allows correct sizing of such water systems and their components to reduce scheme water demand. A decision support tool based on water balance modelling was developed that considers such water options at the household scale. Application of this tool to eight scenarios for both large and small house lots shows that using alternate water sources individually can result in significant scheme water savings. However by integrating these sources additional scheme water saving can be made.

scholarly journals Evaluation of some water saving devices in urban areas: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayder A. Abdel Rahman ◽  
Halima A Al-Farsi ◽  
Mushtaque Ahmed ◽  
Matheus F. A Goosen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Line System ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Pipe Line ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Supply Systems

Water Saving Devices (WSDs) sustain demands for potable water, soften impacts on supply systems and inflict a positive effect on wastewater treatment systems. This study evaluated the effect of some WSDs in Oman. A questionnaire survey and some case studies were used. The survey results revealed that the pipe line system network for water supply accounted for about 67.7%, whereas the rest mainly use tankers. Around 37.2% of the participants received consumed 25000 - 45000 liters per household per month. Case studies showed no significant difference in household water usage before and after installation of WSDs due to pre-installed aerators. Toilet bags and dual flush toilets were not effective promoting users to flush. However, WSDs were significantly effective in restaurants, mosques, hotels and government buildings. Water consumption in shopping centres and hospitals slightly decreased. Retrofitting programs that involve replacement of existing plumbing equipment and residential water audit programs are recommended.

scholarly journals Water uptake strategies by typical broadleaf and coniferous trees in the Loess Plateau mountain area of northern China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiwen Zhao ◽  
Youzhi Han ◽  
Wenjun Liang ◽  
Xi Wei
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Mountain Area ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Before And After

There are few precipitation events in the Loess Platea area, which may significantly influence water uptake strategies for plant communities, while water source for trees, growing in the Loess Plateau mountain area, are poorly comprehend. We investigated the impacts of precipitation (before and after) on water uptake strategies for typical broadleaf and coniferous trees using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope techniques in the Loess Plateau mountain area of northern China. Our results indicated that water sources of the two plant species varied before and after rainfall. Robinia pseudoacacia largely absorbed water from 30-40cm (57.8%) soil layers before precipitation and switched its main water source to 20-30cm (58.5%) soil layer after precipitation. Contrary to R.pseudoacacia, Pinus tabuliformis mainly absorbed water from 20-30cm (24.9%) and 10-20cm (21.6%) soil layers before precipitation and changed its dominant water sources to 0-10cm (39.8%) and 10-20cm (44%) soil layer after precipitation. Moreover, the herbaceous of broadleaf plant has the higher complex of the community. On the whole, R.pseudoacacia and P.tabuliformis showed the diverse characteristics of water utilization, which suggests that these two species are suitable for a mixed forest vegetation and our findings provide valuable information for planning long-term ecological afforestation management around the Loess Plateau mountain area of northern China.

Choosing bottled over tapped: drinking water in the Dominican Republic

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. McLennan
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Head Of Household ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Nationally Representative

While not designated as an improved drinking water source, bottled water is increasingly used by households in low- and middle-income countries as families strive to obtain perceived safer drinking water. The Dominican Republic has high levels of bottled water use despite high levels of piped water access. This study aimed to identify household characteristics that are associated with choosing bottled over tapped drinking water in the Dominican Republic through further examination of data available from a nationally representative Demographic and Healthy Survey from 2007. Among households reporting tapped water as their primary non-drinking water source, 59.6% identified bottled water as their principal drinking water source in comparison with 24.7% identifying tapped water. Greater wealth explained the largest amount of variance in bottled over tapped drinking water. Other hypothesized variables related to choosing bottled over tapped included residence in more urban settings, having a young child in the household, having fewer persons in the household, and a head of household who is female, younger and with higher education. Nationally, representative data which include components investigating perceptions about drinking water and actual quality of drinking water are required to further understand this phenomenon and its impact.

Handwashing and water security in the context of a pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Hannah ◽  
Iseult Lynch ◽  
Feng Mao ◽  
Joshua D. Miller ◽  
Sera L. Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal 6

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call for water security issues. It makes us acutely aware how crucial access, and ability, for adequate hand hygiene are for reducing transmission risks of communicable diseases. An estimated 40% of households globally lack access to basic handwashing facilities. A recent cross-cultural study of household water insecurity experiences (HWISE) found that nearly one in four of 6,637 randomly sampled households across 23 sites in 20 low- and middle-income countries. Similar water, sanitation and hygiene problems impact on poorer families in high-income nations too.</p><p>We explore the challenge of hand hygiene in a changing water world and reflect on the importance of making rapid progress towards “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” (UN Sustainable Development Goal 6). We contest that urgent action on water security is essential to better prepare societies for the future, including global health crises. Drawing on the latest evidence, we provide recommendations on how to increase handwashing, and improve human health and wellbeing more broadly, by reducing water insecurity. Across our world, policymakers must focus on: investment in water infrastructure, water independent alternatives, and behavioural change and knowledge promotion. Moreover, we must prioritise holistic, evidence-based solutions that address 3 facets of water (in)security: availability, quality & accessibility.</p>

scholarly journals Reimagining the past – use of counterfactual trajectories in socio-hydrological modelling: the case of Chennai, India

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 785-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Srinivasan
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Planning Horizon ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
The Past ◽  
Resource Endowment ◽  
Household Water

Abstract. The developing world is rapidly urbanizing. One of the challenges associated with this growth will be to supply water to growing cities of the developing world. Traditional planning tools fare poorly over 30–50 year time horizons because these systems are changing so rapidly. Models that hold land use, economic patterns, governance systems or technology static over a long planning horizon could result in inaccurate predictions leading to sub-optimal or paradoxical outcomes. Most models fail to account for adaptive responses by humans that in turn influence water resource availability, resulting in coevolution of the human–water system. Is a particular trajectory inevitable given a city's natural resource endowment, is the trajectory purely driven by policy or are there tipping points in the evolution of a city's growth that shift it from one trajectory onto another? Socio-hydrology has been defined as a new science of water and people that will explicitly account for such bi-directional feedbacks. However, a particular challenge in incorporating such feedbacks is imagining technological, social and political futures that could fundamentally alter future water demand, allocation and use. This paper offers an alternative approach – the use of counterfactual trajectories – that allows policy insights to be gleaned without having to predict social futures. The approach allows us to "reimagine the past"; to observe how outcomes would differ if different decisions had been made. The paper presents a "socio-hydrological" model that simulates the feedbacks between the human, engineered and hydrological systems in Chennai, India over a 40-year period. The model offers several interesting insights. First, the study demonstrates that urban household water security goes beyond piped water supply. When piped supply fails, users turn to their own wells. If the wells dry up, consumers purchase expensive tanker water or curtail water use and thus become water insecure. Second, unsurprisingly, different initial conditions result in different trajectories. But initial advantages in piped infrastructure are eroded if the utility is unable to expand the piped system to keep up with growth. Both infrastructure and sound management decisions are necessary to ensure household water security although the impacts of mismanagement may not manifest until much later when the population has grown and a multi-year drought strikes. Third, natural resource endowments can limit the benefits of good policy and infrastructure. Cities can boost recharge through artificial recharge schemes. However, cities underlain by productive aquifers can better rely on groundwater as a buffer against drought, compared to cities with unproductive aquifers.

scholarly journals Socio-political processes must be emphasised alongside climate change and urbanisation as key drivers of urban water insecurity

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Fallon Grasham ◽  
George Neville
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Key Drivers

Abstract Urban water security is of critical global and local importance. Across many parts of low- and middle-income countries, urban water security either remains elusive or is becoming stressed. Rapid urbanisation and climate change are two key drivers of resource insecurity and at the forefront of urban water discourse. However, there are manifold and complex socio-political processes functioning alongside these megatrends that are often underemphasised. Drawing on three urban case studies in Ethiopia, we highlight these structural issues and the need for their continued consideration to fully understand and address urban water insecurity. Household water-use surveys, semi-structured interviews and participatory exercises with community residents, stakeholders and informal water vendors were used as part of a mixed-method approach in three urban areas. We found that government-managed urban water supplies were intermittent and unsafe, resulting in economic, health and time-use burdens for households, and that the socio-political dimensions reproducing urban water insecurity have historical roots. We argue that the uncertainty of climate change and unprecedented urbanisation do not offer sufficient explanation for why urban water insecurity persists. Moreover, we call for caution in only employing these narratives, to avoid obscuring deeply rooted challenges within socio-political systems. We call for socio-political processes to continue to be a central component of future interventions that seek to improve urban water insecurity.

scholarly journals Microbiological analysis of domestic water sources in Banda slum of Kampala, Uganda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barugahara Evyline Isingoma ◽  
Kwesiga Stephen
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Faecal Coliform ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Waterborne Infections ◽  
Dug Well

Abstract There is scarcity of information about the safety of water in Banda slum of Kampala, Uganda and yet reports indicate outbreaks of infectious diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of exposure to waterborne infections by Banda residents due to faecal contamination of water sources. Four hundred respondents were sampled and interviewed on the methods of water collection, treatment and storage. Water samples were collected with sterile glass bottles in duplicate from the dug well, protected spring and piped water system in December 2018 on two different consecutive days. They were transported to the laboratory for total and faecal coliform count analysis within 2 h using a lightproof-insulated box containing ice-packs. The mean Escherichia coli count for the dug well was 43 ± 18 c.f.u/mL. The protected spring had no detectable E. coli, but its total plate count level was 76 ± 1.4 c.f.u/mL. Only 46% of the respondents treated their drinking water using boiling and filtering methods. Poor sanitation and hygiene practices were observed. The total and faecal coliform counts of water sources were unsatisfactory making Banda residents highly at risk of infectious diseases, given the small number of residents that treated water.

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