Assessment of sustainability of rural water supply services in Tanzania: the case study of Dodoma region

Abstract

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.