Community-based Water Supply Research Articles

Experiences of community-based water supply organizations partnerships in rural areas of Colombia

Abstract Clean water for human consumption in rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean is usually provided by community-based water supply organizations (CBWSOs). Collaborative partnerships with community-based water supply organizations (CBWSOPs) are established to tackle technical and institutional challenges concerning safe water supply. This article analyses some features of the CBWSOs and their partnerships, based on the experience of ACUANARIÑO and ASDAL – Tres Esquinas, two CBWSOs located in Valle del Cauca – Colombia, following their participation at the local, municipal (ASOOCSAS Tuluá), subnational (Asociación de Organizaciones Comunitarias Prestadoras de Servicios Públicos de Agua y Saneamiento de Colombia (AQUACOL)), national (COCSASCOL), and transnational levels (CLOCSAS). The main findings of this work, after using a participatory approach, are that initial partnerships between CBWSOs emerge from informal agreements built on the neighbourhood logic typical of rurality; however, as moving towards higher scales, agreements become more formal to allow for dialogue and discussion with governmental organizations in the water and sanitation sector. This is also a strategy for the recognition of community water management. Thus, CBWSOPs are construed under a collaborative and non-profit approach, in the manner of water operator partnerships.

EFEKTIVITAS PROGRAM PENYEDIAAN AIR MINUM DAN SANITASI BERBASIS MASYARAKAT (PAMSIMAS) DI KECAMATAN AMUNTAI SELATAN KABUPATEN HULU SUNGAI UTARA (Studi Kasus Desa Simpang Empat Dan Desa Rukam Hilir)

The Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Program (PAMSIMAS) has become one of the national mainstay programs (Government and Local Government) to increase rural population access to proper drinking water and sanitation facilities using a community-based approach. This research is based on the background that in the Effectiveness of the Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Program (PAMSIMAS) in South Amuntai District, Hulu Sungai Utara Regency (Case Study of Simpang Empat Village and Rukam Hilir Village) there are problems, namely, in Simpang Empat Village, lack of responsibility from PAMSIMAS Program managers, lack of supervision in managing facilities and infrastructure, while in Rukam Hilir Village, lack of responsibility from PAMSIMAS Program managers, lack of supervision in managing facilities and infrastructure, and lack of management (MSDM). This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the PAMSIMAS Program and those that influence the Effectiveness of the Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Program (PAMSIMAS) in Amuntai Selatan District, Hulu Sungai Utara District (Case Study of Simpang Empat Village and Rukam Hilir Village). This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive-qualitative research type. Data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, and documentation with 14 data sources. Data were analyzed using data collection techniques, namely data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Test the credibility of the data, namely extending observations, increasing persistence, trigulation, analyzing negative cases, using reference materials, holding member checks. The results of this study indicate that the Effectiveness of the Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Program (PAMSIMAS) in South Amuntai District, Hulu Sungai Utara District (Case Study of Simpang Empat Village and Rukam Hilir Village) has not been effective, this can be seen from the indicators: First, the work program has been going well. Second, the objective of the water supply program is good. Third, the evaluation of the program in Simpang Empat Village was quite good and in Rukam Hilir Village it was not so good. Fourth, target accuracy has been successful. Fifth, the output/result has not been effective. Sixth, community satisfaction with services has not been effective. Seventh, community satisfaction with program benefits in Simpang Empat Village has been effective and Rukam Hilir Village has not been effective. Eighth, it has not been effective in Simpang Empat and Rukam Hilir Villages. Ninth, the program's efficiency has been effective. Tenth, achievement of Downstream objectives has not been effective. Eleventh, Improving public health has been successful. In order to increase effectiveness it is suggested to: Heads of Simpang Empat and Rukam Hilir Villages to provide supervision and direction, to Managers to improve their capabilities and integrity, to the people of Simpang Empat Village and Rukam Hilir Village to always increase their participation in technical supervision, provide reports quickly when problems occur and provide criticism and suggestions

Factors Affecting the Performance of the Community-Based Water Supply Organisations (CBWSOs) in Katavi Districts, Tanzania

This study assessed the factors affecting the Performance of Community-Based Water Supply Organisations (CBWSOs) in managing water supply schemes in Katavi rural areas. An inductive approach and exploratory design were employed in this study. The study population comprised 48 respondents, comprising the region's management team and supervisory board members of selected CBWSOs. Data was collected through one on one In-depth interviews, field observation and literature reviews. The findings revealed firstly, financial management was identified as a critical aspect, emphasising the importance of community participation in the collection of funds. Secondly, Regular infrastructure maintenance is essential for water supply reliability. Thirdly Positive political influence involves securing funding and resources, creating a supportive regulatory environment, promoting community engagement, and advocating for the interests of CBWSOs. In contrast, negative political influence hinders decision-making processes and neglects the responsibilities of supporting and overseeing CBWSOs. Lastly, community awareness was identified as a significant factor. Community participation in the collection of funds fosters financial sustainability, a sense of ownership, responsible resource utilisation, and transparency. Based on these findings, some of the recommendations and policy implications proposed include supporting financial sustainability, establishing a regulatory framework for infrastructure maintenance, minimising negative political interference, promoting community awareness and participation, providing capacity building and implementing a monitoring and evaluation framework.

Water security analysis in Merapi disaster-prone area with the AWDO 2020 method

Water security is one of the crucial concepts in the supply chain of drinking water supply. This concept has become essential, especially since water security has been mainstreamed into drinking water supply activities in Indonesia through a Drinking Water Security Plan (RPAM). This study aims to apply the Asian Water Development Outlook 2020 (AWDO 2020) method as a quick assessment method related to the safety level of drinking water. The research was conducted at community-based water supply and sanitation (PAMSIMAS) locations in Pakem and Cangkringan Districts. The two sub-districts are in the disaster-prone area (KRB) III area of Merapi. In Pakem sub-district, locations studied were PAMSIMAS in Watuadeg and Pandanpuro villages. In Cangkringan sub-district, research was conducted in Dliring and Kalitengah Lor villages. Modifications were made by adding indicators to the Rural Household Water Security AWDO 2020. The initial indicators included water availability, sanitation access, health impact, and affordability. The added aspect is the impact of water resistance with the threat of a volcanic disaster. The scoring of the questionnaire results from a scale of 1-4 is analyzed from each aspect to get the total score determining the water resistance index. The total score obtained for the four locations is 16.03-17.42, which means they all are in the effective stage. There are also some deficiencies in applying the AWDO 2000 method, such as the scoring details and the possibility of scoring interpretation errors.

Analysis of the sustainability status of community-based drinking water supply in Kapongan District, East Java

Ensuring the availability and sustainability of clean water is a key focus of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has emerged as a significant concern for both central and local governments in Indonesia. In the Kapongan District of Situbondo Regency, the government's PAMSIMAS Programme is a proactive initiative designed to secure safe access to drinking water for the community. Within this district, two villages, Landangan and Pokaan, have successfully implemented community-based drinking water provision. The ongoing sustainability of these water supply systems in these villages is pivotal for meeting the continuous drinking water needs of the community, necessitating a comprehensive investigation into its sustainability. The primary objective of this study is to assess the sustainability status of community-based drinking water provision within the ongoing PAMSIMAS program in Kapongan District. The dimensions under consideration encompass environmental, social, economic, technological, and institutional aspects. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilizes the Rap-SPAM analysis method, a modification of Rapfish, with primary data collected through surveys, observations, and interviews. Additionally, secondary data is acquired through an extensive literature review and consultation with various related agencies. The assessment results reveal a sustainability index of 58.92, classifying it as reasonably sustainable. The Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) model produced Stress values ranging from 0.15 to 0.18 and R2 values between 0.93 to 0.94. The variance between the MDS index and Monte Carlo analysis is less than 5%. In conclusion, this study finds that the community-based water supply facilitated by the PAMSIMAS program in Kapongan District demonstrates a reasonably sustainable status. To enhance its sustainability, there is a need to prioritize and improve dimensions with lower sustainability index values in a holistic manner.

EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY-BASED WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROGRAMS IN KAMPUNG RANTAU JAYA ILIR, CENTRAL LAMPUNG REGENCY

This research is an effort to understand the sustainability issues of the PAMSIMAS (Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation) program in Rantau Jaya Ilir Village, Central Lampung Regency. Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, this study tried to identify factors that affect the sustainability of the program. In the qualitative approach, researchers explore literature from various sources to explain the factors causing disruption to the PAMSIMAS program theoretically, while in the quantitative approach, data are collected through questionnaires distributed to program beneficiary communities. The results of this study cover several important aspects. First, the PAMSIMAS program in Rantau Jaya Ilir Village provides significant benefits to the community, especially in improving access and quality of clean water. Second, variables such as age, education, income, and length of stay of the community have a significant relationship with the level of participation in the program. Third, SWOT analysis shows that community participation is in quadrant I, which offers opportunities and strengths to improve programs.

Field demonstration of UV-LED disinfection at small and decentralized water facilities.

Ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LED) can be a good option for disinfecting water in small and decentralized facilities. A flow-through UV-LED disinfection module was evaluated at three remote locations in Japan. The disinfection efficiency of the module was monitored for over one year, targeting indigenous Escherichia coli, total coliforms, standard plate count, and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria. The physicochemical parameters of the source water, including UV transmittance (UVT), were also monitored to understand their natural fluctuation and impacts on UV disinfection. Overall, the UV-LED module showed efficient disinfection at all locations, achieving 2.7 log inactivation of E. coli at 30 L/min in a community-based water supply. HPC inactivation did not significantly differ among the three test sites (p > 0.01). One test site experienced a decrease in HPC inactivation after 10 months, whereas the other two sites did not show performance deterioration after one year. HPC inactivation was not correlated with the UVT of source water at any location, implying the difficulty to use UVT as a single parameter to predict disinfection efficiency in practical applications. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of UV-LED technology for water disinfection in small and decentralized water supply systems.

Analisis Keberlanjutan Program Penyediaan Air Minum dan Sanitasi Berbasis Masyarakat (PAMSIMAS) di Kecamatan Mersam Kabupaten Batanghari Provinsi Jambi

PAMSIMAS (Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation) is one of the PNPM (National Community Empowerment Program) to create clean and healthy living communities through the provision of community-based clean water and drinking water and community-based sanitation. The aims of this research are 1) describe the description of the characteristics in the implementation of the PAMSIMAS program in Mersam District, Batanghari Regency in 2022; 2) evaluate success in sustaining the PAMSIMAS program in Mersam District, Batanghari Regency, and 3) find out the relationship between age, gender, education, employment status and income in the sustainability of the PAMSIMAS program in Mersam Subdistrict, Batanghari Regency. This type of research is quantitative and qualitative research with a total sample of 358 respondents spread over 4 PAMSIMAS program beneficiary villages. The research was conducted in Mersam District, Batanghari Regency. The data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test. The research results show 1) there are differences in the frequency of the results of interviews with respondents in the four villages in Mersam District; 2) the success of the program was only successful in Sungai Puar Village with an assessment percentage of 51.19%; and 3) There is a relationship between income and program sustainability in Sengkati Mudo Village, there is a relationship between employment status and program sustainability in Seangkati Baru Village, there is a relationship between age and employment status and program success in Seangkati Kecil Village, and there is a relationship between education and program success in Sungai Puar Village. Therefore, to maximize the sustainability of the program, the government must pay attention to the sustainability aspects of the program and how to build the community to become managers of these facilities. The concern that arises from the community must also be fully focused on increasing the sustainability of the program.

Exploring social value and their enablers as business models for sustainable water supply projects

PurposeThis work aims to understand how social value is created and delivered using community-based water supply projects. It examines social value creation given the enabling concepts – value co-creation and service ecosystems as business models for infrastructure.Design/methodology/approachInductive reasoning, including qualitative research design, was applied to two water supply projects. The qualitative stage created social value co-creation features using the purposive sampling of 72 semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe qualitative analysis features social value co-creation, which includes a sense of social unity, end-user empowerment, Behavioural transformation, and knowledge transfer. Although value destruction also emerged while examining social value co-creation, the research identifies the “red flags” and value contradictions that must be avoided.Research limitations/implicationsThe enablers of sustainable infrastructure projects should include social value, service ecosystems and value co-creation.Practical implicationsThere is a need for the government and non-governmental organisations to create enabling platforms that involve a planned dialogical communication process supporting the development and enhancement of relationships of stakeholders to maximise social value from infrastructure projects.Originality/valueThe work offers a widened perspective of social value creation and a new framework called “Social value co-creation/destruction” (SVCC/SVCD) as the business model for sustainable infrastructure projects. It is the first attempt to illustrate social value creation in construction from service ecosystems and value co-creation perspectives.

Toward improved river basin management for sustainable community-based water supply systems and community development in North-West Cameroon

Toward improved river basin management for sustainable community-based water supply systems and community development in North-West Cameroon

Societal Impact Analysis of Community-managed Potable Water Supply System in Rural India

Lack of accessibility and affordability to safe and affordable drinking water remains a major challenge in fulfilling sustainable development goals. Community-based water management emerged as a policy response to address the issues. However, the impact of producing community-based water supply institutions on the community is hardly noticed in this context. This paper tries to fill the gap through the relational understanding between the provision of safe water and communities’ socioeconomic upliftment, which remains the main reason behind the establishment of the potable water facility in Porapara village located in West Midnapur district of the state of West Bengal, India. The study findings revealed that community participation through the process of empowerment results in good governance of the potable water project and the socioeconomic well-being of the community in Porapara village. This kind of intervention study may help policymakers in evaluating the societal impact to achieve socioeconomic well-being.

Sustainability assessment of community-based water supply projects: A multi-criteria decision approach

In developing countries, Community-based projects of water supply (CBWS) are implemented rapidly as an improved solution to rural water supply systems. However, sustainability has been a major concern for these projects. Analytical hierarchy process, a Multi-criteria decision framework is used in this study to evaluate the sustainability of four types of community-based water supply schemes and compare the results to focus on the relative performance of each type, analyze the drawbacks and thus bring about necessary modifications in decision making for the stakeholders. 57 quantifiable sub-criteria were identified and weighted to model the hierarchy structure under Environmental, Economic and Social criteria of sustainability. Several supply sources belonging to those 4 CBWS types were inspected to be scored for the 57 sub-criteria. The median of the scores of the sources under each type was taken as the score of that type. Data were collected by Household Survey, Site Survey, In-Person interviews, Expert Opinion and Observation. The study results show that supply sources that run under private ownership and operation having more than 100 users show the best sustainability score. Much attention is needed to sources that are owned and operated by the government solely. The completeness of the study made a robust baseline that can identify strategies and suggest efficient management in similar rural community-based water supply projects.

Urban Design Initiatives in Drought-prone Areas dealing increasing Water Demand as Pandemic Covid-19 Impact

The Covid-19 pandemic becomes a primary issue in urban development that requires several supporting facilities and infrastructures to handle. The adequate water supply to ensure the washing hand and bathing as part of health protocol implementation is crucial for drought-prone areas. Meanwhile, the government strategies on drought handling by assisting the water trucks are considered a temporary solution. Hence, this study examines urban design initiatives to deal with Covid-19 impact on the water sector, particularly in Semarang drought-prone areas. The research used a quantitative method by overlaying physical variables such as the soil type, slope, and water supply coverage to determine the drought level map. Afterward, the drought level compared with the population growth and community's economic capacity to describe the area's vulnerability. Besides, the existing drought handling strategies were analyzed to examine the impact. This study utilized secondary data such as the government institution websites as well as Google maps. The analysis results point out that most of drought-prone areas did not serve by government water service and relied on the community-based water supply system. In addition, 25% of the inhabitants are categorized as a low-income community, so that they prefer to take water from the river or spring than have to expend more to buy the water. Meanwhile, the existing initiatives on drought handling did not have significant impacts because of a lack of knowledge and unclear regulation. The Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) concept has already been adopted, yet the implementation was still small-scale and unsustained. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the physical, socio-economic, and political aspects in implementing the drought handling initiatives.

Governance drivers of rural water sustainability: Collaboration in frontline service delivery

This paper contributes to a long-standing debate in development practice: under what conditions can externally established participatory groups engage in the collective management of services beyond the life of a project? Using 10 years of panel data on water point functionality from Indonesia’s rural water program, the Program for Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation, the paper explored the determinants of subnational variation in infrastructure sustainability. It then investigated positive and negative deviance cases to answer why some communities successfully engaged in system management despite being located in difficult conditions as per quantitative findings and vice versa. The findings show that differences in the implementation of community participation, driven by local social relations between frontline service providers, that is, village authorities and water user groups, explain sustainable management. This initial condition of state-society relations influences how the project is initiated, kicking off negative or positive reinforcing pathways, leading to community collective action or exit. The paper concludes that the relationships between frontline government representatives and community actors are important and are an underexamined aspect of the ability of external projects to generate successful community-led management of public goods.

A sustainability assessment of decentralized water supply systems in Bandung City, Indonesia

Decentralized water supply systems (DWSS) are a form of community-based water supply infrastructure common in developing countries. These systems address the limitations of centralized water supply systems (CWSS), but one issue of DWSSs is their sustainability. Therefore, it is urgent to identify the inhibiting factors for their sustainability. This study assesses the level of sustainability of two prevalent types of DWSS in Bandung City: public wells and communal networks. The article shows that three critical factors must be considered to ensure the sustainability of DWSSs, namely structured organizations, community participation, and financial resources. This study also finds informal practices in the management of DWSSs that contribute to the system's sustainability. The study offers policy recommendations to improve the sustainability of existing and future DWSSs. Specifically, the study recommends forming DWSS institutions, improving community participation, implementing a tariff system as a source of funding and a way to conserve water, and lastly, integrating DWSSs and CWSSs.

Emerging and persistent challenges in water resources governance in rural Tanzania: The Mgeta subcatchment of the Upper Ruvu Basin

ABSTRACT The article examines the emerging and persistent challenges of water resources governance that contribute to unequitable sharing of water resources amid the different competing users in the Mgeta subcatchment in the Ruvu River Basin, Tanzania. The author used a mixed method research design to examine the challenges of water governance in rural Tanzania, with a focus on households (water users) in the Mgeta subcatchment of the Upper Ruvu Basin. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to garner qualitative data, while a questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. The results indicated that conflicts, inactiveness of members of the Community Based Water Supply Organisation (COBWSO) in Kibaoni village (one of three case villages), overlapping of responsibilities among key actors, as well as ineffective revenue collection were the main challenges facing water resources governance. The author concludes that concerted efforts are needed to address governance challenges hampering equitable access to water resources among different users.

Peran Dinas Kesehatan Dalam Koordinasi Dan Pembangunan Penyediaan Air Minum Sanitasi Berbasis Masyarakat

The problem of clean water today is a concern in all regions including the Bungo Regency and this study aims to determine the role of the Health Office in the development of community-based water supply and sanitation. By using a descriptive method of qualitative approach and data collection techniques by interviewing informants as many as 17 people. With the results of the study of the Role of the Bungo District Health Office in the Regency of Bungo in evaluating the sources of community-based drinking water supply and the construction of Pamsimas. In accordance with the regulations and main tasks. There are still many community-based sources of drinking water whose quality is beyond the supervision of the Bungo District Health Office. In carrying out the implementation of supervising community-based drinking water supply the Bungo District Health Office is less than optimal, there are barriers such as inadequate human resources, with a less than optimal number of officers, facilities and infrastructure that have not supported good service. Obstacles faced by the Bungo District Health Office, there have been several attempts to overcome constraints, some of which have been carried out such as: Health Office, Applying to Bungo District Regent. In order to issue a circular letter to Rio and Lurah. Stopping Open Defecation is signed by Minister of Health, Governor and Regent, Public Works Agency, proposing additional personnel and proposing additional budget funds

Water metering in piped community-based water supply systems: the challenge of balancing social and economic benefits

ABSTRACT This study examines the challenge of balancing the social and economic benefits of community-based water supply due to the introduction of water meters. One hundred and fifty-four questionnaires were disproportionately administered to users and 20 in-depth interview discussions were conducted with water stakeholders. Resistance to and destruction of water meters coupled with irregular monthly contributions towards operation and maintenance of the water system was identified. The introduction of water meters is seen by some as a money-making venture contrary to community-driven development norms. Balancing the social and economic benefit of water supply will improve community wellbeing, build resilience and sustainability.

Evaluation of the Implementation of Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Programs in Cihara Village, Lebak Regency

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of Community Based Drinking Water and Sanitation Provision III in Cihara Village, Cihara District, Lebak Regency. The theory used is the evaluation theory by Dunn (2003: 610), namely effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and accuracy. The method used is descriptive with a qualitative approach. The result of this research is that the implementation of the PAMSIMAS III program in Cihara Village, Cihara District, Lebak Regency has not run optimally. Suggestions that become recommendations for supervision from related agencies after the construction of facilities is complete and there are efforts from related agencies to provide awareness to the community about the importance of PHBS, community self-help groups have strategies so that people can participate in the form of in-cash contributions and in deliberations, and the existence of cross subsidies for infrastructure maintenance fees for people who are economically underprivileged.

Inequality and transaction costs in a community-based water supply in rural area adjacent to national park

National parks can be sensitive state-property areas since the surrounding communities generally need the parks' resources for their livelihood. This paper focuses on inequality and transaction costs in PAMSIMAS (Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation), a water sector program in Indonesia’s rural and peri-urban areas. The method used is a case study of PAMSIMAS in Tajuk, a village adjacent to Mount Merbabu National Park in Semarang Regency, Central Java. The data were gathered from documentary studies, in-depth interviews, and observations, and were analyzed using transaction cost economics and institutional analysis. This study found that the rules of PAMSIMAS, especially water pricing mechanisms, enhanced water availability but could not diminish the uncertainty of water access and transaction costs born by water users. Inequalities of endowment, power, and information among the hamlets affected how PAMSIMAS was run. Mobilization of water resources is related to property rights, which should be well-defined. Still, there was an overlapping property institution of Mount Merbabu National Park forest and its water resources; thus, the water user groups had to bear different transaction costs. The study provides suggestions for providing broader 'rules of the game' in rural water management, recognizing local conditions and prospects, acknowledging community rights to resources, and developing inclusive community participation.JEL Classification D23; P48; Q15