7/29/2019 AWW2013: Sustainability Requirements for CBOS to Manage Rural Water Supply Schemes by Ruwan Sanath Liyan…

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Basins

Title: Sustainability Requirements for CBOS to Manage Rural Water Supply Schemes

Introduction

 Authors:Ruwan Sanath Liyanage NWSDB Sri Lanka

Abstract: First, decentralizingmanagement to the lowest appropriatelevel, coupled with close communityinvolvement in planning, financing,implementation, and operationsprovides a good foundation for sustainable services. During pastdecades, lack of access to potabledrinking water in rural areas hasprompted the Asian DevelopmentBank(ADB) and other donors toincrease user involvement. Users wereencouraged to participate in theplanning, implementation, andoperation and maintenance of ruralwater supply schemes .However,

experience shows that CommunityBased Organizations (CBOs) areconstrained in maintaining thesustainable water system. Tounderstand the challenges facing CBOsa study was undertaken in Sri Lankawhere six rural water supply schemeswhich were implemented ADB fundscompared

The schemes are maintainingby CBOs for last sevenyears.The research had two

main interests: 1) to compareCBO management with localauthority and National Water board management and 2)whether a CBO can manageover a thousand connections.Results shows that communitycan manage water supplyschemes if provide support tothem.

The purpose of the study is tocontribute to knowledge todevelop an appropriateSystem of 

CBOs to manage water supplyschemes. Hence based ontheoretical frame workdeveloped,

Frame work was alsodeveloped to test selectedindicators of sustainable

RWSS.This requires a varietyof qualitative and quantitativedata. Secondary and primarydata were collected from sixwater supply schemesmaintained by CBOs , NWSDBand Local Authority.

Accordingly, the methodology

used in this study was mainlythree fold and they

Results and discussion 

• It is required to achieve construction standards

before handing over the schemes to CBOs and

Local Authorities as those institutions lack the

capacities to rectify defects during the O&M. From

the results analyzed it was observed that

construction of treatment plants, metering of service

connections and quality control by independent body

are the main areas needing attention.

• Mobilization of community using proper training and

awareness were the main tools of community

development. In respect of sense of ownership,

financial transparency, technical knowledge,managerial capacity, women participation, water 

resource management and hygiene education are

key drivers of sustainable rural water supply

management.

• CBOs are capable in many O& M activities when

compared with Local Authority and NWSDB.

However, they do not engage in water quality

monitoring, they do not have continuous training anddevelopment and they do not have a regular feed

back of their work.

• CBOs are capable of managing over 1,000 service

connections even though they are not capable of 

implementing water quality monitoring programs.

Where CBOs are not the maintaining authority, it isrecommended to involve them as a pressure group

for O&M authority.