Rural Water Projects Research Articles

Designing a Model of Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping System for Off-Grid Localities in Tanzania

Modeling of photovoltaic (PV) water pumping system for rural water localities is vital especially in these modern days, in Tanzania. This is due to the rise of high number of solar-powered rural water projects constructed lacking appropriate design. The fate result into poor and substandard projects delivering below expectations. Kikombo Solar Water Project situated in Dodoma; Tanzania is one among poorly designed solar project chosen as a case study to validate proposed model. The main problem of Kikombo project is unsatisfactory amount of water from domestic points to satisfy population demand. This matter has been raised by pumping-station attendants and the Kikombo village community. The Kikombo water project can only deliver 14.21 m3/day while required demand is 50 m3/day. In order to solve the existing problem, solar water pumping model was developed. It consists of PV array, a motor-pump (AC), inverters (DC–AC converter), maximum power point tracker (MPPT) integrated with a controller and a storage water tank. Analysis was done in MATLAB to estimate which parameters should be upgraded to meet the water requirements. Moreover, the input and output variable for each model component were identified and simulated in MATLAB software. Finally, PV model was validated and system capacity improvement to rectify designs limitation for Kikombo is proposed. The model results were validated through real measurement data at Kikombo water pumping station. The differential error of 0.04062 was observed as a system error. PV model displayed an error of 0.0509 for power output, 0.0383 for current and 0.0131 for voltage; inverter displayed error of 0.0686 and 0.0406 for motor pump. In order to acquire sufficient water demand of 50 m3 /day, the PV panel and pump capacities should be increased to 8.82 kW and 7.35 kW respectively from the existing PV panel’s power of 2.5 kW and motor-pump of 4 kW.

Rural water project planning and evaluation in Ghana: a new methodological perspective

AbstractCommunity water projects offer an economically attractive and physically accessible solution for livelihoods. Piase Community Water Project (PCWP) was initiated in 2005 to provide potable water to the rural communities surrounding Piase. Using data from a field survey with sampled participants in the Bosomtwe district, where this rural water project was implemented, the paper analyses challenges encountered during the project's progress. An advanced SWOT matrix approach is used to analyse the cascading effects of both internal and external factors on the PCWP's planning and evaluation. Following an analysis of existing rural water planning and evaluation issues, the paper explores possible solutions and long-term strategies to provide rural communities with a reliable water supply. This study provides significant insight for policymakers to develop effective strategies that promote a balance between strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in rural water projects in the future.

Community Participation and Non-Governmental Organizations-Funded Rural Water Projects’ Sustainability: A Case of Chamwino District, Dodoma Region, Tanzania

Introduction: Every year, two million people die because of unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene. Children and young women living in rural communities are the most affected groups. To address this problem, NGOs have implemented various water projects across the country but their sustainability is questionable. Objective: To assess community participation and rural water projects’ sustainability in Chamwino District, Dodoma, Tanzania. Materials and Methods: The study was exploratory in nature, employing a qualitative approach. In-depth interviewing and focus group discussions methods were used to collect data from the participants. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants to get their insights on community participation and the sustainability of rural water projects in Chamwino District, Dodoma Region, Tanzania. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis, to embrace community participation in the rural water projects, which can affect their sustainability. Results: Findings show that lack of community participation, lack of community support, and involvement at various stages of project implementation from the designing, implementation, operation, and monitoring and evaluation through various village water committees are key factors negatively impacting sustainability of rural water projects implemented in Chamwino District. Conclusions: Effective community participation, community support, and participation from the designing, implementation, operation, and monitoring and evaluation through water committees are key factors to be adhered to for the sustainability of rural water projects in Chamwino District and other areas in Tanzania.

Community management does not equate to participation: fostering community participation in rural water supplies

Abstract Community management has remained the dominant paradigm for managing rural water supplies in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a widespread perception that community participation principles are inherently embedded in the community management model. In this paper, we analyze how an international nongovernmental organization engages rural communities in their rural water projects, and the ways in which community members are able to participate in the management and governance of their water supplies. Qualitative data were collected in 18 study communities – six each in Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia – through interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory mapping with community and water committee members. We argue that community management does not inherently lead to broader community participation, but rather that fostering community participation requires intentionality. We recommend implementers use collaborative planning processes and explicitly engage with intra-community diversity and inequalities in order to facilitate the opportunity for all community members to meaningfully participate in decision-making. Collaborative planning with diverse groups will also allow community members to realize their rights to transparency and accountability once community management structures are in place.

Community Based Rural Drinking Water Supply System (Sustainability Challenge in Kannahipuram CBO Scheme)

Rural Water Supply (RWS) system implemented and maintained by a community-Based Organization (CBO) adopting a participatory approach, which is considered a useful strategy to supply safe drinking water to the people, especially in rural segments of the country in a sustainable manner. This study was carried out based on Kannahipuram CBO managed RWS schemein Alayadivembu Divisional Secretariat Division (DSD). The study gathered primary data through field-based interviews with key stakeholders in CBO managed water supply system and field observations. Also, it collected secondary data from statistical reports from NWSDB, RWS, and CBOs, etc. The findings have been interpreted mainly based on the descriptive qualitative method. This study examines the extent to which the community participation influences community ownership of rural water projects and its sustainability in the Kannahipura scheme. This paper also sets out to analyze the impacts of the participatory approach in the rural water supply system using qualitative and quantitative information that compiled project data with field surveys. The study found that the participatory approach was effectively exercised in Kannahipuram CBO managed water supply scheme to ensure a sustainable system at the village level. However, it was observed that the quality of water is not in a drinkable condition for drinking purposes, and the water source has been contaminated, particularly in the Shallow-well due to climate change, increased demand, and seasonal drought in the region. Hence, this study suggests improving the water quality by using advanced treatment processes to provide safe drinking water at a drinkable level through CBO operation and community participation successfully and effectively.

Including water quality monitoring in rural water services: why safe water requires challenging the quantity versus quality dichotomy

The need to increase drinking water quality monitoring in rural sub-Saharan Africa is widely recognised. Rural water service providers (RWSPs) may be positioned to include water quality monitoring in their activities; however, it is important that water safety activities do not compromise cooperation between the RWSP, bureaucracy, and communities. Using dilemma analysis, drawing on an institutional experiment engaging 76 stakeholders, we find that conceptualising water quality versus quantity as a dichotomy delays progress on safe water. This false dichotomy makes it more difficult to deliver water safety improvements due to contrasting assumptions about the importance of quality; risks associated with not being able to act; and unclear divisions of responsibility. Monitoring water quality can be a threat to stakeholders and stakeholder cooperation; however, this may be mitigated by including supported water safety planning in the technical and institutional design of rural water projects at their conception.

Influence of Water Extraction Technology on Sustainability of Community Operated Water Projects in Central Nyakach Sub- County, Kisumu, Kenya

Sustainability of community operated rural water projects in Kenya remains a challenge. In spite of concerted efforts to transfer ownership of rural water projects to beneficiary communities and increasing participation of the communities in the operation of these facilities, more than a third of all rural water projects fail within the first few years of development. This study investigated the Influence of Water Extraction Technology on sustainability of community operated water projects in central Nyakach sub- county, Kenya. Employing a cross-sectional survey design, and from a target population of 1346 households, a proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 142 household water users as respondents, 25 water management committee members and 6 local leaders as key informants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Content analysis was also done. The results revealed that the hand pump technology was more prone to breakdowns than the solar pump technology. Furthermore, spare parts and technicians were locally available to undertake repair work and maintenance, thus enhancing the water projects sustainability. There is need to replace the hand pump technology with modern and efficient technologies that would extract higher volumes of water thus meeting the needs of the community members.

Pathways to sustainability: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of rural water supply programs

Despite recent progress extending access to drinking water supplies globally, ensuring long-term functionality of rural water infrastructure remains challenging. Past research on rural water project outcomes has used two principal approaches: large-N statistical studies estimating average effect sizes, or case studies providing causal description. Notably lacking is a rigorous comparative analysis of conditions determining sustained service delivery. We use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify causal conditions (“pathways”) leading to sustained functionality of rural water supplies across diverse geographies. Twenty cases were selected through a review of the literature. We identified and coded five conditions to examine their influence on project outcomes for each case. Results reveal three distinct pathways sufficient for achieving sustained functionality: Pathway 1 features piped networks with professionalized, service-oriented management and post-construction support. Pathway 2 features a self-supply approach (e.g., private wells and small piped schemes) delivering water services on premises. Pathway 3 describes community-managed water points (e.g., deep boreholes with handpumps) in the context of freshwater scarcity. Two conditions were common across all pathways: good financial management and user participation in project decisions. Strong management, combined with sufficient financial and technical resources, moderates the influence of physical water availability on service sustainability.

Investigating Willingness to Pay to Improve Water Supply Services: Application of Contingent Valuation Method

Safe water supply is one of the important Millennium Goals. For development of market water supply services, the willingness of consumers to pay is essential. The consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for piped water supply using the contingent valuation (CV) method with different starting point bids was investigated for the Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan. The results showed that households with access to groundwater (well or borehole water users) perceived this as of good quality. Consumers without access to groundwater used open-source, standpipe or delivered water for which they had to travel and spend time or to pay. Open source water and standpipe water quality was perceived as bad or satisfactory. More than 90% of the consumers were willing to pay for better water quality and regular water supply. The mean WTP was estimated to be about 1120 in bids and about 1590 KZT per household per month in open-ended question format (150 KZT is ~1 USD as of January 2012). The results can be used to better identify the proper technological choice and the level of service to be provided making rural water projects both sustainable and replicable at a larger scale.

Rural Water Supply and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: A Case Analysis of Akwa Ibom State

Generally, the level of water supply in Akwa Ibom State is poor. The situation is pathetic in the rural areas where water is either scarce or costly when it is available. Many trek several kilometres every morning and evening in search of water while others depend on polluted water from ponds, stream, rainwater and floods for domestic use, thereby increasing health hazard. After eighteen (18) years of the establishment of the Akwa Ibom State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (AKRUWATSAN), coupled with the huge Akwa Ibom State Government expenditure on the provision of water in the rural areas of the State, the situation does not seem to improve. What factors are responsible for the disproportionate water situation in the rural areas? This study attempted to identify the factors. The reports of Akwa Ibom State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (AK-RUWATSAN) 2012 – 2013 were reviewed to determine the number of rural water projects undertaken in the study area during the period of the report. Structured interviews were conducted with a total of 249 randomly selected respondents in 83 purposively selected communities. The study revealed that Akwa Ibom State Government has developed a total of 83 mini-water projects in the same number of rural communities to boast the supply of clean and safe water in 13 Local Government Areas during the study period. The study has discovered lack of maintenance, lack of community participation, lack of coordination and co-operation among the stakeholders, political factor, inefficient monitoring, and poor attitude towards public property to be the factors responsible for the incommensurate rural water situation in the study area. Rain water harvesting with its various advantages among other strategies has been recommended.

Does User Participation Lead to Sense of Ownership for Rural Water Systems? Evidence from Kenya

Summary Despite broad acceptance of the idea that “sense of ownership” among users is critical to infrastructure sustainability in developing countries, little is known about what sense of ownership is, or its drivers. We present a novel measure of sense of ownership for piped water systems using empirical data collected from 1140 households in 50 rural Kenyan villages. This study establishes an empirical referent for households’ sense of ownership. We find that some, but not all, types of participation enhance community members’ sense of ownership for rural water projects.

Sustainable development as a community of practice: insights from rural water projects in Egypt

AbstractA community‐of‐practice (CoP) approach is used to analyze rural water sustainability. In combining CoP with the capability approach (CA), a dichotomy is generated between project goals and project practices and whether they are locally or externally driven. Four possible project scenarios are developed from this framework: empowerment (local goals and practices), apprenticeship (local practices and external goals), assistencialism (external practices and local goals) and determinism (external goals and practices). A novel arrangement of indicators is used that incorporates economic (costs), environmental (natural resources) and engineering (skills) sustainability. A meta‐synthesis of 23 Egyptian rural water projects indicates that sustainability potential should optimize environmental and engineering sustainability on one hand, with economic sustainability on the other. The policy implication is that managing a series of village‐level water projects at a regional level best achieves both economy of scale and adequate cultivation of local practices. However, such a policy is only possible if national institutions enable decentralized regional governance. If institutions resist decentralization, institutional incentives are likely necessary to ensure a more enabling environment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Effect of community participation on sustainability of rural water projects in Delta Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to assess the effect of community participation on sustainability of rural water projects in Delta Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria. The study was concentrated in the rural settlements where water projects were executed. The community citizens were rarely often or always involved in the various stages of the projects as the community development committees’ executives represented the communities. In most communities, the water projects were funded by the respective communities and other bodies. Those counter partly funded were highly sustainable than those solely funded by governments. The various communities were mostly organized through formation of community development committees, weekly meetings and formation of social groups. There was significantly relationship between participation and sustainability of water projects (r-cal = 0.652 and r-critical = 0.632). It is recommended that the level of participation in projects should be increased; and the communities should continue with their methods of organization with more emphasis on regular conference and institution of sanctions/rewards to encourage citizens to participate in development projects. Key words: Effect, community participation, sustainability, rural, water, projects.

Impact of rural water projects on hygienic behaviour in Swaziland

In Swaziland, access to safe water supply and sanitation has improved significantly and was expected to result in improved health and, in particular, reduced infant mortality rates. On the contrary, mortality rates in the under 5 years age group are high and have doubled from 60 in 1996, to 120 deaths per 1000 in 2006. The main objective of the study was to assess whether the water projects permit, and are accompanied by, changes in hygienic behaviour to prevent transmission of diseases. The study area was Phonjwane, located in the dry Lowveld of Swaziland, where water projects play a significant role in meeting domestic water demands. Hygienic behaviour and sanitation facilities were analysed and compared before and after project. The results of the study show that domestic water supply projects have significantly reduced distances travelled and time taken to collect water, and that increased quantities of water are collected and used. While the majority of respondents (95.6%) used the domestic water project source, the quantities allowed per household (125 l which translates to an average of 20.8 l per person) were insufficient and therefore were supplemented with harvested rainwater (57.8%), water from a polluted river (17.8%), and water from a dam (2.2%). Increased water quantities have permitted more baths and washing of clothes and hands, but significant proportions of the population still skip hygienic practices such as keeping water for washing hands inside or near toilet facilities (40%) and washing hands (20%). The study concludes that the water supply project has permitted and improved hygienic practices but not sufficiently. The health benefits of safe domestic water supplies are hampered by insufficient quantities of water availed through the projects, possible contamination of the water in the house, poor hygienic behaviours and lack of appropriate sanitation measures by some households. There is a need to provide sufficient quantities of safe water to meet all domestic demands. Domestic water supply must be accompanied by appropriate sanitation and hygienic education.

Evaluating the Role of Postconstruction Support in Sustaining Drinking Water Projects Evidence from Peru

This article assesses the impact of postconstruction support (PCS) on the sustainability of participatory, demand-driven rural water projects in the Cuzco region of Peru. This study evaluates ninety-nine villages from two water supply schemes— projects built under a social investment fund program and those built under a nongovernmental program funded by the Swiss government. Overall, the study finds that the projects are performing very well. Multivariate regression analysis suggests that household- and village-level PCS is linked with financial performance, overall household satisfaction, and attitudes toward long-term future performance after controlling for project and community determinants of sustainability.

Prospecting for groundwater using the electromagnetic method in the Voltaian Sedimentary Basin in the Northern region of Ghana – a case study of the Gushiegu-Karaga district

The Gushiegu-Karaga District is one of the most deprived areas in the Northern Region of Ghana in terms of water supply. Only about 15% of the population have access to potable water, and has a chronic water supply problem. In an attempt to improve the water supply situation the Ghana Rural Water Project (GRWP) of the World Vision initiated Conrad-Hilton Funded Borehole Water Project in Gushiegu-Karaga district, with the objective of drilling 100 wet boreholes. In this study a ground geophysical technique, the Electromagnetic (EM) method using the GEONICS EM 34-3 equipment has been used to delineate and locate water-bearing zones. The EM profiles of interest were analysed and interpreted qualitatively to locate suitable and potential sites to drill boreholes for groundwater abstraction. Drilling results and findings from drill logs show that the mean depths of productive and unproductive boreholes were 41.0 and 64.0 m respectively. The groundwater producing zones were found to be between 30.0 m and 60.0 m depths. A minimum yield of 10 litres per minute has been used as the basis for a borehole to be successful. However, 60% success rate was achieved out of 100 boreholes drilled. When compared with the success rate of drilling productive boreholes, the 60% success achieved was higher. It is recommended that the EM method, which is fast, efficient, less laborious and cost effective, be used to locate suitable borehole sites in programmes aimed at accelerated rural water supply to the rural communities in the district. Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 25(2) 2005: 53-65

Survey of water use behaviour in rural North Ghana

Evaluation research of rural water projects has not paid much attention to examining the extent to which intended beneficiaries actually utilized the new water points for drinking purposes. This paper presents a survey of water use patterns in a rural district of Ghana to find out the source(s) of water for drinking both at home and when on the farm. Because farms are at a considerable distance from the settlements where the boreholes are located, the use of borehole water when on the farm provides a good standard with which to evaluate community education components of the water programmes.

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF DEVELOPMENT GRANTS IN INDONESIA'S WATER SUPPLY SECTOR

Over successive five-year development plans, Indonesia has channeled large sums of foreign loans and domestic funds into water supply projects with the aim of providing clean water for a majority of households. Most projects have been planned and financed through the central government's public works ministry, though a growing share of rural water projects are being funded through earmarked grants provided to local governments. This paper examines how these central government transfers, in the aggregate, have responded to various indicators of expenditure needs. Overall, past allocations have matched existing demand and supply levels closely–funding has generally favored provinces with large populations, large numbers of water enterprises, extensive distribution networks in place, and high production capacity. They have not, however, worked in favor of either equalization or economic productivity objectives, as reflected by per capita income or GRDP growth rates. This analysis suggests that equity would be promoted either by including income-related factors in future block grant allocation formulas or by shifting funding emphasis in the water supply sector from grants-in-kind controlled by the central government to sectoral grants controlled mainly at the local level. Such policy reforms would also further promote the nation's professed goal of decentralizing infrastructure development.

What Happened to Guinea Worm Control? An Issue of Water Quality and Health Improvements

ABSTRACT The prevailing emphasis in child survival programs excludes any integrated efforts in water and sanitation. The reason has been the widespread belief that selective primary health care is more cost-effective in lowering child mortality. Yet this is not the case. Studies have clearly shown that rural water projects are not only affordable, but that the community's active involvement in them stimulates greater participation in other child health activities. This article &scribes the debilitating effectsof guinea worm, a waterborne disease that is easily prevented through simple interventions to improve water quality, but nevertheless is allowed to disrupt all aspects of rural social and economic life through much of Africa and Asia. Studies in two Nigerian communities illustrate that the mothers afflicted were so thoroughly disabled and immobilized, over such long periods of time, that they were unable to care for themselves, their businesses, their homes, or even their children. Such incapacity is...

The impact of a UNICEF-assisted rural water project on the prevalence of guinea worm disease in Asa, Kwara State, Nigeria.

This paper demonstrates that protected water supplies, in the form of boreholes, can reduce the prevalence of dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease) in affected communities from a point prevalence of greater than or equal to 50% to 0% or near 0% within 3 years of intervention. Studies in Nigeria show that boreholes sited within a village and used exclusively for drinking water are most effective, while less accessible or malfunctioning boreholes have a less dramatic impact on prevalence. In contrast to the situation in villages served with boreholes, the prevalence of guinea worm in the unserved villages remained almost unchanged. The rapid benefits of protected rural water supplies and the decline of dracunculiasis, including the rise in school enrollment and fall in the rate of school absenteeism, are highlighted together with other socioeconomic benefits.