Abstract
Haiti has the worst drinking-water indicators in the Western Hemisphere and access to improved water sources has not dramatically improved for over two decades. This limited success despite hefty investments can be attributed to a variety of reasons including lack of community involvement and lack of long-term support of operation and maintenance for rural water systems. This paper presents a case study of Haiti’s first municipal chlorinated water system in the rural Central Plateau and critically examines its effectiveness. While the technology behind the Cange water system is highly innovative and effective, its lack of community involvement and feasible operation/maintenance jeopardizes its long-term viability. Methods to sustain the system without major external intervention are currently being developed and attempted through a partnership with Haiti’s public water sector. NGOs and organizations should ensure that an appropriate community development framework is established prior to system installation so that these problems can be avoided.
Highlights
1.1 Rural water systemsSince 1990, 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources (UNICEF, 2015)
This paper presents a case study of Haiti’s first municipal chlorinated water system in the rural Central Plateau and examines its effectiveness
The community was never responsible for maintaining their water supply and never made major monetary or logistical contributions
Summary
Since 1990, 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources (UNICEF, 2015). The vast majority of global increases in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) can be attributed to recent urbanization and worldwide economic development trends rather than explicit development endeavours (Moriarty, 2013) This limited success despite hefty investments can be attributed to a variety of reasons including:. The implementation of WASH projects in developing countries became especially popular during the first International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade from 1981 to sponsored by the United Nations (Najlis, 1991). The results of this effort were extremely mixed, especially in rural areas, where access to WASH decreased (Churchill, 1987). Water Supply Network (RWSN), a village water committee usually requires support or longterm assistance from external agents such as a local government office or NGO in order to be successful (RWSN, 2010)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
