scholarly journals Critical Factors for the Success of Rural Water Supply Services in Brazil

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2180
Author(s):  
Anna V. M. Machado ◽  
João A. N. dos Santos ◽  
Norbertho da S. Quindeler ◽  
Lucas M. C. Alves

The universalization of drinking water in rural communities poses a great challenge to developing countries, where rural areas often receive poor water service coverage and limited attention from authorities. This scenario is the current reality in Brazil. The community management model of rural water services has proven to be a noteworthy approach to ensure the continuity of water supply where private and public entities do not operate. However, its sustainability depends on several aspects. The authors of the current paper performed a thorough review of relevant publications in the rural sanitation field of study using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) methodology, which enabled the creation of a list of essential factors capable to ensure the sustainability of Rural Water Supply Services (RWSS). Using the Nominal Group Technique with a selection of participants from a national conference held in Brazil in 2015, specialists hierarchized the factors, demonstrating their perception of the most important aspects necessary in RWSS throughout Brazil. Consequently, the authors noticed the necessity of a strong enabling environment, which recognizes small communities and their local services. Water quality control, post-construction support and the existence of a financial scheme were also pointed out as important aspects to ensure RWSS’s sustainability.

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sekela Twisa ◽  
Manfred F. Buchroithner

In some parts of Africa, rainfall variability has resulted in widespread droughts and floods, thus posing a substantial challenge to water availability in rural areas, especially drinking water. Therefore, due to increasing water demands, increases in the population, and economic development, water supply systems are under constant stress. One of the critical uncertainties surrounding the effects of rainfall variability in Africa is the significant impact that it imposes on rural water supply services. The present study analyzes the trends in annual and seasonal rainfall time series in the Wami River Basin to see if there have been any significant changes in the patterns during the period 1983–2017 and how they affect the access to water supply services in rural areas. The study analyzes the trends of rainfall series of three stations using simple regression, Mann–Kendal Test and Sen’s Slope Estimator. The water point mapping datasets were analyzed considering seasonal variation. The analysis showed a statistically significant positive trend in annual rainfall at Kongwa and March–April–May (MAM) seasonal rainfall at Dakawa. The maximum increase in annual rainfall occurred at Kongwa (5.3 mm year−1) and for MAM seasonal data at Dakawa (4.1 mm year−1). Water points were found to be significantly affected by seasonal changes, both in terms of availability and quality of water. There also exists a strong relationship between rural water services and seasons.


Water Policy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 650-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyapriya Rout

The paper reports the main findings of a study, designed to develop a better understanding of institutional variations in working with the demand responsive approach (DRA) in rural water supply in the state of Odisha in India. Data for the paper were collected from twelve village communities, where water is being supplied either through their community based institution or through the local government institution of the Gram Panchayat. The findings suggest that the two types of institutions performed differently in implementing the DRA. It depicted that the DRA under the broader rubric of institutional reforms in the water sector has failed to address the question of social inequality, and rather had reinforced and extended the already existing inequity of Indian society to access to safe and secure drinking water in rural areas. The study highlights that participation, cost recovery, full operation and management transfer may be an efficient proposition, but not sustainable in the long run without proper investment in institution building and support from the state, especially in provisioning of basic services like drinking water to rural poor.


2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-182
Author(s):  
Tuwani Petrus Malima

Consistent access to potable water remains a major challenge among communities in rural areas of Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). This is due to the high frequency of water supply infrastructure breakdown due to obsolete infrastructure and inadequate involvement and participation of rural communities in paying for water and maintenance which affect sustainability of water supply system in VDM. This study assesses current state of water supply, challenges and effectiveness of measures in place in order to propose intervention to improve rural water supply system in VDM. The study followed a mixed method research design, which include both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis and chi-square test. The study established that water is inconsistently supplied in VDM. As about 53.5% of the respondents received water once per week which necessitate intervention to improve the situation. All the respondents from the four local municipalities of Vhembe District were not satisfied with the quantity of water received and distance travelled to collect water. The study recommend intervention strategy which included that local management structure to be established and terms of reference agreed with communities including more water supply sources options to be added


Water Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Chukwuma Obeta

Abstract The alarming state of safe water deprivation among the residents of rural communities in Nigeria is well recognized. Unfortunately, research that shows the policy gaps in the water supply sector of the country and measures to eliminate them in order to improve water supply sustainability in the country is lacking. This paper investigates the landscape of water service provision to rural communities in Nigeria using investigative and qualitative approaches due to the desire to explore the experience and opinions of previous workers/agencies in the region. Primary and secondary data were used in the study. Findings characterized the rural water supply landscape in the region. The community-based service providers are constrained by several policy gaps that negatively impact on the quality and sustainability of rural water supply in the country. Rural water interventions suffer from a high rate of failures due largely to weak institutional framework in the water supply sector. The paper recommends that for rural water supply sustainability to be improved in Nigeria all the stakeholders must work together to prioritize and address the policy gaps constraining service delivery simultaneously in the region. Working on one factor alone may not result in sustainable services.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (78) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Jorge Alejandro Silva Rodríguez de San Miguel

The supply of water to rural areas has historically provided the Mexican government with a significant challenge. Years of uncertainty in relation to responsibility for water supply, as well as geographical differences across the country and a division between rural and urban areas, explain this phenomenon. I have reviewed in this paper a substantial proportion of the literature on this topic, the reasons behind its nature, and the solutions to the problem in Mexico, as my main aim. The key conclusion is that while improvements in rural water supply in Mexico have been made, further work is required for equality in its supply.


Water Policy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 696-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Whittington ◽  
Jennifer Davis ◽  
Linda Prokopy ◽  
Kristin Komives ◽  
Richard Thorsten ◽  
...  

This paper reports the main findings of a multi-country research project designed to develop a better understanding of the performance of community-managed rural water supply systems in developing countries. Data were collected from households, village water committees, focus groups of village residents, system operators and key informants in 400 rural communities in Peru, Bolivia and Ghana. Our findings suggest that the demand-driven, community management model, coupled with access to spare parts and some technical expertise, has come a long way toward unraveling the puzzle of how best to design and implement rural water supply programs in developing countries. In all three countries, rural water supply projects were working. Among the households included in our sample in Peru and Bolivia, 95% had operational taps at the time of our field visit. In 90% of the villages in Ghana, all project handpumps were still working. Not only had the rural water systems not broken down, but almost all the households in these communities were obtaining at least some of their water from the systems. However, some households were also still using water from other sources. In Ghana, 38% of households still reported using water from unprotected sources (e.g. springs, river, open wells) for drinking and/or cooking. Another troublesome finding is that rural households in the sample villages are paying very little for the improved water services and, as a result, the finances of many village water committees are in poor shape.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 372-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lightness Eliamringi ◽  
Shija Kazumba

Rural water supply services in Tanzania are still inadequate. Despite the substantial resources invested to provide safe water, there is a significant number of water points that are non-functional. Knowledge of the degree of sustainability and the contributing factors for rural water supply projects is limited. This study employs the fuzzy set concept to assess the degree of sustainability of water points in seven Local Government Authorities (LGAs) of Dodoma region in Tanzania. Dodoma region lies in the semi-arid area of Tanzania where boreholes are the major sources of water supply. Due to limited information, four dimensions of sustainability of water projects were used in this study. These include water quantity from the water sources, water quality, institution setting with regard to community participation in meetings, and financing of the projects for operation and maintenance. The multidimensional sustainability indices of water points were determined. The results indicate that only two LGAs, of Bahi and Kondoa, have sustainable water points with sustainability indices of 0.86 and 0.83, respectively. Kongwa has the lowest sustainability index of 0.17 due to poor water quality and inadequate quantity of water from the boreholes.


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