myths of rural water supply … … and directions of change · •co-financing with consumers, ie...
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Myths of Rural Water Supply … … and directions for change
Richard C Carter Chair, Rural Water Supply Network
Head of Technical Support, WaterAid
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• Much has been achieved, but it is time for change.
• Sustainability remains elusive.
• New ways and directions are beginning to emerge.
Summary
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The ‘conventional approach’ to RWS (1)
Output-focused MDG coverage targets, focusing on ‘improved’ water points and numbers of people ‘served’.
1.3 billion people use boreholes, 80% of them are in rural areas, mostly using handpumps.
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The ‘conventional approach’ to RWS (2)
Heavily subsidised Capital cost often subsidised 90-100%.
Communities contribute labour and locally available materials.
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The ‘conventional approach’ to RWS (3)
Community-managed Users (WUC) manage and maintain water point.
All post-construction finance is from consumers.
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Observations on the ‘conventional approach’
When asked, consumers demand better services.
We don’t generally know how to advise on tariffs.
WUCs often run into subsequent difficulties.
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Handpump maintenance – revenues See Carter et al 2010 http://www.washcost.info/page/1066
Typical life-cycle annual cost of handpump USD235 (Baumann, 2006)
Typically 50 user households may each agree to pay USD2.40 per annum.
USD120 per annum
A proportion of households (say 10%) is exempted for good reasons.
USD105 per annum
In some years, because of drought, flood, pest or hail, no-one pays.
USD35 pa (average)
7
Can WASHCOST give us a better handle on this?
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On tariffs and financial viability
Inadequate tariff
Further unwillingness to
pay for poor service
Long down-time
Unaffordable repairs needed
Inability or unwillingness
to pay
Back to the swamp, and wait for the
next donor ...
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Outcomes of the conventional approach ‘Snapshot’ functionality estimates – rural handpumps [data collected by Joe Narkevic and Peter Harvey, published by the Rural Water Supply Network]
90
80 80 7875 75 75
70 70 70 69 68 66 65 6560
50
35 35 33
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100 Weighted mean functionality approx 65% - a glass half-full?
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Outcomes – service half-life Tanzania, rural water points in six districts [data collected by Alexia Haysom, 2006, published by WaterAid Tanzania]
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Outcomes – the unserved
The water MDG has been met, but …
• 780m are still unserved.
• 653m (84%) of the unserved are rural.
• 275m (42%) of the rural unserved are in sub-Saharan Africa, 139m (21%) in South Asia.
• It is likely that the least visible, the most remote and the most hard-to-serve continue unserved.
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Myths of Rural Water Supply
Three of the seven myths
• Building water supply systems is more important than keeping them working.
• Communities can always manage their facilities on their own.
• The best way to utilise public funds is to heavily subsidise hardware.
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Building water supply systems is more important than keeping them working
Of course not, but …
• Most public and NGO investments are capex.
• JMP counts people using improved water points.
• Governments count new water points constructed.
• Sustained service is not measured or reported.
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Communities can always manage their facilities on their own
External intervention
Water user committee
Water supply assets
manages
organise, train
design, construct
The established community management model – tested and found wanting.
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An alternative – community management ‘plus’ [after Erich Baumann, Skat/RWSN]
Water user committee
Water supply technology
External intervention
External support (to both “hard” and
“soft” infrastructure
limited ability to maintain
Recognising the support communities need, in terms of management, co-financing and technical assistance.
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The best way to utilise public funds is to heavily subsidise hardware
Options for public investments
• (As now) mostly on capital investments to increase coverage.
• Co-financing with consumers, ie subsidise to a lower level, or encourage household investments without public subsidy (accelerated self-supply).
• Develop capacity for high quality investigation, supervision and contract management.
• Achieve better balance between capital and recurrent investments (including but not only capital maintenance).
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Balancing capital with pre- and post-construction investments
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What the consumer wants
Access – proximity, social dimensions
Management burden – within consumer capacity
Affordability – water tariffs
Reliability – predictable and permanent
Quantity – only possible with improved access
Quality – but only one of six aspects
Cf human rights normative criteria (General Comment 15): ‘the human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses’.
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Evolution or revolution?
Public investment in physical infrastructure with community management has achieved a lot, but it is time for a step-change in performance. We need to build on what has gone before, not discard it.
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What needs to change?
• ‘For all, for good’ from the outset.
• Where community management is still appropriate, provide external support (CM+).
• Pursue other models of service delivery.
• Find viable (post-construction) financing solutions.
• National monitoring to capture desired outcomes, especially sustained service and inclusion.
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Planning for permanence
• Think and plan for permanent service from the outset of all new interventions. This affects technology, management and financing arrangements, and what should be monitored.
• Be driven by the outcomes of continuing functionality and utilisation rather than only physical outputs.
• Don’t get distracted by impacts!
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Alternative models – self supply
Accelerated self-supply
• Recognises and encourages household and community initiatives.
• Provides promotion and technical assistance but no hardware subsidy.
• The water-equivalent of CLTS.
Watch out for webinar on June 12th to learn more about Self Supply.
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Alternative models – CM+
Good practice in community-management
• Community management arrangements are adequately supported.
• Some external co-financing is in place.
Example is Kigezi Diocese Water and Sanitation Programme, Uganda. Watch out for webinar on April 24th to learn more about Government of Ethiopia / Finland CoWASH Program.
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Alternative models – standalone systems
Stand-alone systems
• Managed as businesses.
• Treats the consumer as a customer.
• Uses solar pumping and mobile phone / smart card payment technology.
• What arrangements for the poor?
Example Grundfos Lifelink http://www.grundfoslifelink.com/index.html See webinar on May 22nd for more on this approach.
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Alternative models – from CM to private operators
Large gravity schemes / multiple village schemes
• Retain water point committees.
• Scheme management committees or (semi) private operators.
• In the transition between community management and utility or private operator management.
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Alternative models – rural learning from urban
Urban / small town operators extend into rural hinterland
• Blurs the boundary between urban and rural water supply institutions.
• Uses appropriately modified urban benchmarking and performance indicators for rural services.
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Future directions
• Professionalisation in two senses – Better qualified and certified personnel.
– Service delivery by professionally staffed organisations, moving away from community management.
• Reducing the management burden on consumers while assuring service standards.
• While designing tariff structures which recognise inability of some consumers to pay.
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Thank you for listening!
Contacts WaterAid [email protected] Personal / consultancy [email protected]