scholarly journals Why prepaid technologies are not a panacea for inclusive and sustainable rural water services in Tanzania?

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 925-942
Author(s):  
Hans C. Komakech ◽  
Lukas Kwezi ◽  
Mansoor Ali
Keyword(s):  
Cost Recovery ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Water Services ◽  
Revenue Collection ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Operation And Maintenance ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
One Year

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.

Cost determination and sustainable financing for rural water services in sub-Saharan Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Water Services ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Cost ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Cost Determination ◽  
Sustainable Financing

Access to safe, sufficient and affordable water in rural Africa will not increase unless sustainable financing strategies are developed which ensure the sustainability of existing water services. There is a strong need for international donors and national governments to confront the true costs associated with sustained service provision in order to develop practicable long-term financing mechanisms. This paper presents a systematic approach that can be applied to determine the overall cost of service delivery based on respective cost estimates for operation and maintenance, institutional support, and rehabilitation and expansion. This can then be used to develop a tariff hierarchy which clearly indicates the cost to water users of different levels of cost recovery, and which can be used as a planning tool for implementing agencies. Community financing mechanisms to ensure sustained payment of tariffs must be matched to specific communities and their economic characteristics; a blanket approach is unlikely to function effectively. Innovative strategies are also needed to ensure that the rural poor are adequately served, for which a realistic, targeted and transparent approach to subsidy is required.

scholarly journals Robustness of IoT-connected e-Taps for sustainable service delivery of rural water supply

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 2251-2260
Author(s):  
Will Ingram ◽  
Fayyaz Ali Memon
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Rate Reduction ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Revenue Collection ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Physical Findings

Abstract ‘e-Taps’ monitor flow at rural water points in sub-Saharan Africa and enhance revenue collection using pre-paid tags. Real-time, high temporal resolution e-Tap usage data are available to service providers. In this paper, the robustness of the e-Tap is evaluated in the laboratory regarding (1) accuracy of the flow meter and (2) the flow rate reduction caused by addition of a y-strainer and debris build-up. An average relative error of +3.63% across varying flow rates is found. A general calibration will bring 95.45% of measurements within a ±4.54% error range. In the y-strainer, smaller gauze sizes, smaller debris sizes, and higher debris loads cause greater flow rate reductions. The maximum reduction observed was only approximately 68% of the baseline flow rate. These physical findings can be integrated into software solutions to management problems.

scholarly journals Short and Long Term Outcomes Associated with Fetal Cholelithiasis: A Report of Two Cases with Antenatal Diagnosis and Postnatal Follow-Up

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Troyano-Luque ◽  
Ana Padilla-Pérez ◽  
Ingrid Martínez-Wallin ◽  
Margarita Álvarez de la Rosa ◽  
Salvatore Andrea Mastrolia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fetal Distress ◽  
Normal Pregnancy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Caucasian Woman ◽  
Biliary Disease ◽  
Ceftriaxone Sodium ◽  
Biliary Sludge ◽  
Ultrasound Findings ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
One Year

The aims of this study were to present and discuss ultrasound findings of prenatal fetal cholelithiasis in two cases with different etiology and evolution. Case 1: a pregnant woman from sub-Saharan Africa, suffering from Lyme disease, was treated with ceftriaxone sodium. Six weeks later, biliary sludge associated with polyhydramnios was detected in the fetus and the fetal growth percentile was 14. Emergency caesarean was performed at 36 weeks of gestation due to fetal distress. Biliary sludge persists in the two-and-a-half-year-old child. Case 2: the fetus of a Caucasian woman with normal pregnancy showed multiple cholelithiasis associated with polyhydramnios at 31 weeks of gestation. At 39 weeks and 4 days, cesarean section was performed due to lack of dilation. The biliary disease resolved spontaneously at seven months of age, with no associated abnormalities. In conclusion, prenatal diagnosis of cholelithiasis is straightforward, but prognosis cannot be defined yet. Serious complications do not arise in 70% of cases, but severe diseases may ensue in 20%. Persistence of cholelithiasis after one year of age results in cholelithiasis in childhood and beyond. Biliary sludge is associated with worse prognosis than cholelithiasis when it appears before 28 weeks of gestation.

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