scholarly journals Trends in access to water and sanitation in Malawi: progress and inequalities (1992–2017)

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 785-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Cassivi ◽  
Elizabeth Tilley ◽  
E. O. D. Waygood ◽  
Caetano Dorea

Abstract Billions of people globally gained access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation in the last decades, following effort towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Global progress remains a general indicator as it is unclear if access is equitable across groups of the population. Agenda 2030 calling for `leaving no one behind', there is a need to focus on the variations of access in different groups of the population, especially in the context of low- and middle-income countries including Malawi. We analyzed data from Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) to describe emerging trends on progress and inequalities in water supply and sanitation services over a 25-year period (1992–2017), as well as to identify the most vulnerable populations in Malawi. Data were disaggregated with geographic and socio-economic characteristics including regions, urban and rural areas, wealth and education level. Analysis of available data revealed progress in access to water and sanitation among all groups of the population. The largest progress was generally observed in the groups that were further behind at the baseline year, which likely reflects good targeting in interventions/improvements to reduce the gap in the population. Overall, results demonstrated that some segments of the population – foremost poorest Southern rural populations – still have limited access to water and are forced to practise open defecation. Finally, we suggest including standardized indicators that address safely managed drinking water and sanitation services in future surveys and studies to increase the accuracy of national estimates.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Cassivi ◽  
Elizabeth Tilley ◽  
E.O.D. Waygood ◽  
Caetano Dorea

AbstractBillions of people globally gained access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation in the last decades, following effort towards the Millennium Development Goals. Global progress remains a general indicator as it is unclear if access is equitable across groups of the population. Agenda 2030 calling for “leaving no one behind”, there is a need to focus on the variations of access in different groups of the population, especially in the context of least developed countries including Malawi. We analyzed data from Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) to describe emerging trends on progress and inequalities in water supply and sanitation services over a 25-year period (1992 - 2017) and to identify the most vulnerable population in Malawi. Data were disaggregated with geographic and socio-economic characteristics including regions, urban and rural areas, wealth and education level. Analysis of available data revealed progress in access to water and sanitation among all groups of the population. The largest progress is generally observed in the groups that were further behind at the baseline year, which likely reflects good targeting in interventions/improvements to reduce the gap in the population. Overall, results demonstrated that some segments of the population - foremost poorest Southern rural populations - still have limited access to water and are forced to practise open defecation. Finally, we suggest to include standardized indicators that address safely managed drinking water and sanitation services in future surveys and studies to increase accuracy of national estimates.


2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1075-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Kauark-Leite ◽  
B. Vinçon-Leite ◽  
J. F. Deroubaix ◽  
A. Loireau ◽  
D. Silveira ◽  
...  

Abstract. In the rural areas of the developing countries, the access to water supply and sanitation services is still largely inadequate. Poor governance of the water sector is frequently singled out as a cause and reforms are required. Studies analyzing the great diversity of restructuring efforts currently being undertaken in the water sector have not succeeded in determining the most appropriate institutional and economic framework for such reforms. Moreover they underline the lack of documentation on actual projects and call for concrete models and tools for improving water and sanitation services (WSS) and for adapting water utility practice to real conditions. In this context, the Vida no Vale (Life in the Valley) project is aimed at bringing universal access to WSS for all inhabitants of both urban and rural areas, in the north-eastern area of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. The project takes sustainable development as its guiding principle, and relies on the joint implementation of an innovative technical design, a governance model involving public participation and subsidiarity, and an economic structure combining financial viability and social equity. Designed at a consistent geographical and hydrological scale, it includes the creation of a regional subsidiary of the existing state water company as a keystone element. The institutional organisation also relies on the creation of a public board consisting of the 92 municipalities of the project region and of the State of Minas Gerais. This board will be in charge of the system's governance. This paper presents the first step of the project (2006), consisting of a feasibility study and the implementation of 9 pilot sub-projects. During the feasibility study, the supply, demand and capacity to pay for water services were defined, existing infrastructure appraised, the necessary amount of investment assessed and an innovative operational model and a sustainable management system, including civil society participation, defined. The main features of the Vida no Vale project have been tested in 9 pilot sub-projects, and implemented in municipalities chosen for their low Human Development Index and for the lack of WSS, in both urban and rural areas. A second phase corresponding to the project's final implementation will run from 2007 to 2011. The Vida no Vale project design resulted in a logical and extensive framework which could be used for developing similar WSS projects in other poor, rural regions, its adaptiveness being a key feature for taking into account the specific, local conditions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2683-2712
Author(s):  
L. Kauark-Leite ◽  
B. Vinçon-Leite ◽  
J. F. Deroubaix ◽  
A. Loireau ◽  
D. Silveira ◽  
...  

Abstract. In the rural areas of the developing countries, the access to water supply and sanitation services is still largely inadequate. Poor governance of the water sector is frequently singled out as a cause and reforms are required. Studies analyzing the great diversity of restructuring efforts currently being undertaken in the water sector have not succeeded in determining the most appropriate institutional and economic framework for such reforms. Moreover they underline the lack of documentation on actual projects and call for concrete models and tools for improving water and sanitation services (WSS) and for adapting water utility practice to real conditions. In this context, the Vida no Vale (Life in the Valley) project is aimed at bringing universal access to WSS for all inhabitants of both urban and rural areas, in the north-eastern area of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. The project takes sustainable development as its guiding principle, and relies on the joint implementation of an innovative technical design, a governance model involving public participation and subsidiarity, and an economic structure combining financial viability and social equity. Designed at a consistent geographical and hydrological scale, it includes the creation of a regional subsidiary of the existing state water company as a keystone element. The institutional organisation also relies on the creation of a public board consisting of the 92 municipalities of the project region and of the State of Minas Gerais. This board will be in charge of the system's governance. The paper will present the first step of the project (2006), consisting of a feasibility study and the implementation of 9 pilot sub-projects. During the feasibility study, the supply, demand and capacity to pay for water services were defined, existing infrastructure appraised, the necessary amount of investment assessed and an innovative operational model and a sustainable management system, including civil society participation, defined. The main features of the Vida no Vale project have been tested in 9 pilot sub-projects, and implemented in municipalities chosen for their low Human Development Index and for the lack of WSS, in both urban and rural areas. A second phase corresponding to the project's final implementation will run from 2007 to 2011. The ongoing successful accomplishment of the Vida no Vale project would make it an exemplary and replicable model for other poor regions.


Water Policy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edina Sinanovic ◽  
Sandi Mbatsha ◽  
Stephen Gundry ◽  
Jim Wright ◽  
Clas Rehnberg

The burden of water-related disease is closely related to both the socio-economic situation and public health issues like access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene services. Poverty eradication, through improved access to water and sanitation, is the South African government's major priority. This is partly achieved through subsidising the cost of water and sanitation provision to the poor in rural areas. Whilst the new policies have made a remarkable impact on improved access to water and sanitation services, a general problem since the new approach in 1994 has been the lack of integration of policies for water and sanitation and health. This paper analyses the policies concerning rural water supply and sanitation in South Africa. It considers the structure of institutions, the division of responsibilities and legislated and financial capacity of the South Africa's water sector. A more integrated approach for the policies aiming at water access, sanitation and health is needed. In addition, as the local government's capacity to implement different programmes is limited, a review of the financing system is necessary.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Antonio Narzetti ◽  
Rui Cunha Marques

Access to water and sanitation services (WSSs) in low- or middle-income countries is constrained by the poverty and vulnerability conditions of the population. In this context, it is urgent to establish public policies for WSSs that will increase the economic access to these services so that they will be more comprehensive and comprise the entire population, ensuring a balance between social and financial objectives. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and of the difficulty in achieving universal access using Brazil as a case study. The role of regulation in the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and the impact of the recent institutional reform that took place last year in that country is discussed. The different experiences analyzed provide interesting lessons that contribute to the improvement of the Brazilian status quo and that, at the same time, can be good practices that can be applied in other countries. One of the main conclusions of this research is related to the contributions that regulation should provide in the universalization of WSSs, mainly when the provision of these services is ruled by a contract. Furthermore, we observed that public authorities have resigned their role in this scope and that they must be more effective and, particularly, more proactive so that universalization can be achieved.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Ziad Tak

The right to water is a right for all and must be implemented in a nondiscriminatory manner in accordance with the conditions and limits laid down by some particular laws and regulations. In order to make the right to drinking water and sanitation a reality, water and sanitation services must be made affordable to the population as a whole. Property and access to other human rights such as the right to housing, food or health services should also be made available to the population. Internationally, several countries have recognized the right to drinking water and sanitation, but have not actually implemented it at the national level. The objective of this study is to show the importance of the implementation of the right to drinking water, so that it can be made available to all. Since the most widely traded studies on human rights were dominated by political and judicial character, I tried in this study to broaden the meaning of human rights and to provide more Rights. This is despite the fact that it has not been compensated by specific legal texts. As a result, the problem of the study is focused on water as a fundamental need of human, and access to water is part of its fundamental rights.


Author(s):  
Zhanerke Bolatova ◽  
Kamshat Tussupova ◽  
Berik Toleubekov ◽  
Kanat Sukhanberdiyev ◽  
Kulyash Sharapatova ◽  
...  

Safe water and sanitation, which give rise to appropriate hygiene, are fundamental determinants of individual and social health and well-being. Thereby, assessing and widening access to sustainable, durable water and sanitation infrastructure remains a global health issue. Rural areas are already at a disadvantage. Poor access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) can have a major negative effect on students in rural schools. Thus, the paper aims to assess the current condition and the challenge to access WASH in rural Kazakh schools. The study was conducted in three rural schools in Central Kazakhstan. Data were gathered through a survey among pupils, observations of the WASH infrastructure and maintenance, and a face-to-face interview with school administrators. The mean survey response rate was 65% across schools. Results indicated there was no alternative drinking-water source in schools, and 15% of students said they had access to water only occasionally. Half of the students reported that the water was unsafe to drink because of a poor odor, taste, or color. The toilet in school 3 was locked with a key, and a quarter of the students reported there was no access to a key. Moreover, not having gender-separated toilet facilities was a challenge because of the traditional gender norms. Despite the effective regulations and measures of handwashing taken during COVID-19, 27.7% of the students answered that soap was not offered daily in classrooms. Additionally, warm water was only provided in school 2. About 75% of students did not have access to drying materials continuously. The study shows that having the schools’ infrastructure is not enough when characteristics, such as availability, accessibility, maintenance, operation, quality of services, education, and practices, are ignored. Cooperation between local education authorities, school administration, and parents should be encouraged to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennyfer Wolf ◽  
Sophie Bonjour ◽  
Annette Prüss-Ustün

Monitoring progress towards the targets for access to safe drinking-water and sanitation under the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) requires reliable estimates and indicators. We analyzed trends and reviewed current indicators used for those targets. We developed continuous time series for 1990 to 2015 for access to improved drinking-water sources and improved sanitation facilities by country using multilevel modeling (MLM). We show that MLM is a reliable and transparent tool with many advantages over alternative approaches to estimate access to facilities. Using current indicators, the MDG target for water would be met, but the target for sanitation missed considerably. The number of people without access to such services is still increasing in certain regions. Striking differences persist between urban and rural areas. Consideration of water quality and different classification of shared sanitation facilities would, however, alter estimates considerably. To achieve improved monitoring we propose: (1) considering the use of MLM as an alternative for estimating access to safe drinking-water and sanitation; (2) completing regular assessments of water quality and supporting the development of national regulatory frameworks as part of capacity development; (3) evaluating health impacts of shared sanitation; (4) using a more equitable presentation of countries' performances in providing improved services.


2020 ◽  

This document was inspired by the need to promote comprehensive actions in the management of water and sanitation services with a human rights focus within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; in addition, it ratifies the results reported in a PAHO study (2016) on the profound inequalities between urban and rural areas in access to water and sewage services, and the correlation with characteristics such as gender, age, income, education, among others. This report assumed this challenge using a methodology based on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation (HRWS) analytical framework. This report seeks to provide the most up-to-date overview of the SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2 situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Besides outlining the general situation of countries, it presents some elements regarding human rights and the targets 6.1 and 6.2 that have been neglected in the initial monitoring of the 2030 Agenda, above all, the dimensions of inequality and affordability. This report presents four case studies, one per sub-regional block, with a more detailed characterization of the national and subnational situations of Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The results of this study show that a significant proportion of the Latin American and Caribbean population still lacks adequate access to water and sanitation services. Only 65% of the population has access to safely managed water services, a percentage lower than that reported worldwide, which is 71%. With regard to safely managed sanitation services, the situation is even more critical, with an access level of 39% worldwide being reported, compared to 22% in our Region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-170
Author(s):  
Tri Noviyanti Nurzanah ◽  
Zakianis Zakianis ◽  
Bambang Wispriyono ◽  
Athena Anwar

ABSTRACT   Bengkulu Province is the fourth-lowest province in Indonesia for sanitation facilities and drinking water availability. The difference in socioeconomic conditions and very low access to sanitation in Bengkulu Province poses a major challenge to ensuring water and sanitation services for all, so as to attempt to control a large number of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the description of sanitation and drinking water between urban and rural areas in Bengkulu Province. Data analyzed were Village Potential data (PODES) in 2018 and the sample were 148 villages. Research results show that sanitation facilities and the availability of clean water in urban areas are better than in rural areas. In rural areas the majority of sewage is unsanitary or without latrines/open defecation, garbage disposal is carried out by dumping it into the pit of natural soil or being burnt, the sewage is still open, the water source is still a dug well as a source of clean water. In conclusion, there are still gaps in terms of access to sanitation in rural areas and urban safe drinking water. An evaluation is needed to increase community access to sanitation in rural areas and drinking water in cities.   Keywords: Saniation, drinking water, urban areas, rural areas     ABSTRAK   Provinsi Bengkulu merupakan salah satu provinsi dengan sarana sanitasi dan ketersediaan air minum ke empat terendah di Indonesia. Perbedaan kondisi sosial ekonomi dan akses sanitasi yang sangat rendah di Provinsi Bengkulu menimbulkan tantangan besar untuk memastikan layanan air dan sanitasi bagi semua, sehingga membantu mengendalikan sejumlah besar penyakit menular. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran sanitasi dan air minum antara wilayah perkotaan dan perdesaan di Provinsi Bengkulu. Data yang dianalisis adalah data Potensi Desa (PODES) tahun 2018 dengan unit analisis desa. Jumlah sampel sebesar 148 desa di daerah perkotaan dan perdesaan di Provinsi Bengkulu. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa sarana sanitasi dan ketersediaan air bersih di wilayah perkotaan lebih baik daripada di wilayah perdesaan.  Di wilayah perdesaan mayoritas pembuangan tinja tidak saniter atau tanpa jamban/buang air besar sembarangan, pembuangan sampah dilakukan sdengan membuang ke dalam lubang tanah atau dibakar, saluran pembuangan air limbah masih terbuka, dan sumber air adalah  sumur gali sebagai sumber air bersih. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa masih terdapat kesenjangan dalam hal akses sanitasi dan air minum antara di perdesaan dan  perkotaan. Perlu adanya evaluasi peningkatan akses masyarakat terhadap sanitasi di pedesaan dan air minum di perkotaan.   Kata kunci: Sanitasi, air minum, perkotaan, pedesaan


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