Resources
Incorporating Productive Use into Water Systems in Urban Nigeria
Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji: Incorporating Productive Use into Water Systems in Urban Nigeria
Given the importance of the urban water system to low income productive water users, a functional and efficient utility as well as an appropriate policy framework has been identified as being imperative in order to maximize income and employment benefits for urban productive water users. This is true in Nigeria where water supplies to households by the water utilities have traditionally been confined within what is known as domestic water needs. The quantity of water supplied has often been meant to cover basic needs such as drinking, cooking and personal sanitation needs etc. However this has not been a true reflection of the use of this limited amount of water supplied. Recent studies in other parts of the world have however shown that millions of low-income households now, more than ever before are using their limited water supplies for activities such as productive uses. Such productive uses of water may not really thrive or even take off unless the required quantity of water is available. Such activities often generate numerous benefits to households involved. An understanding of how productive uses of water could successfully be mainstreamed into urban water systems in Nigeria was studied. This involved a social survey of households and institutions in Owerri, Nigeria; where productive uses of water is already real, particularly in activities such as home gardening, horticulture and livestock rearing etc. In view of the persisting problem in water supplies in Nigeria, where water utilities such as the Imo State Water Corporation (ISWC) is still enmeshed in intermittent supplies; the implications for households, especially the productive water users; alternative water suppliers and the government is explored in the paper in order to identify how supply sustainability for these activities could be maximized as a veritable tool vital in the fight against poverty. [authors abstract]
Addressing health through multiple use water services
E. Boelee: Addressing health through multiple use water services
Multiple use water services can bring more health benefits than separate water supplies for domestic and productive uses – if health is explicitly and properly addressed. That means that in the planning phase due attention has to be given to adequate water allocation for various purposes as well as to providing safe sanitation and offering complementary health and hygiene education. These elements can also be useful in step-wise upgrading single purpose systems to multiple use water services. Sufficient water of good quality is needed for drinking water and hygiene. If the system cannot supply adequate water quality, then additional facilities such as home water treatment can be a good solution, provided the users understand and can operate the treatment themselves. The (re-) use of water for home gardens with a variety of vegetables and fruits is important for balanced nutrition. Proper design, construction, operation and maintenance of water systems can avoid the creation of breeding sites for vectors of diseases such as malaria mosquitoes and schistosomiasis snails. Environmental sanitation, including construction and safe use of latrines, but also protection of water resources from pollution by runoff and animals, reduces the demand for water treatment as well as risks of water use (exposure to pathogens and toxic chemicals) for productive and domestic purposes. Upgrading of water services often reduces water collection efforts for women and children, leading to a whole range of additional socio-economic benefits that in turn may bring health benefits, while poverty reduction in itself also leads to improved health. [authors abstract]
Experiences on Multiple Use Dams in Sissala West District, Ghana
G. K. Adu-Wusu, L. Roberts & K. A. Debrah: Experiences on Multiple Use Dams in Sissala West District, Ghana
Plan Ghana works in the Sissala West district in north-western Ghana. The main livelihood of indigenes is rain-fed farming and livestock rearing. Northern Ghana experiences an 8-month long dry season each year, during which farming and livestock watering become extremely difficult. Food shortages occur and people lose their animals. Moreover, rainfall patterns are irregular, causing young crops to wither in incidental prolonged dry periods, a situation aggravated by climate changes. Plan partner communities requested support for the construction of dam facilities to support dry season farming and livestock watering. After feasibility studies, 8 dams were constructed with the aim of improving livelihoods and health of people through sale and consumption of produce from the following intended uses; Irrigation, Fish farming and Livestock watering. Over 1000 households are benefiting from the dams. A total of 95 hectares of land has been put under irrigation growing mainly vegetables. Leafy vegetables are now available on the market in the dam communities. Income levels have increased through the sale of surplus produce. Some community members have taken up fishing whilst livestock have sufficient water. Apart from the intended uses of the dams, they are serving other practical water needs which were not catered for in the design, and bring in additional sources of income; Moulding bricks, Watering dirt-roads and Household cleaning. Data collection on use demands and patterns, especially on the unexpected additional activities, needs to be continued to guide future multiple use of water projects in Plan’s MUS programme.[authors abstract]
Costs and benefits of multiple uses of water: a case from Ethiopia
M. Adank, B. Belete, M. Jeths: Costs and benefits of multiple uses of water: a case from Ethiopia
This paper presents a study conducted under the RiPPLE project1, with the objective to provide better insight in the costs and benefits of multiple use water services. In this study, the costs related to the provision of water services and the benefits related to water use were analysed for two cases in the East Haraghe zone, Ethiopia, each taking a different path towards multiple use services. In the Ido Jalala case, domestic water supply services were upgraded to enable small-scale irrigation, while in the Ifa Daba case, irrigation services were upgrades to also cater for domestic water use. In both cases, water was used for multiple uses by the community members, regardless of the water services provided. The study shows that in the studied cases, the benefits of multiple use easily outweigh the costs involved in providing water services. It also shows that with relatively small additional costs, single use water services can be upgraded to multiple use water services, which facilitate multiple uses, bringing along relatively high additional benefits. [authors abstract]
Bolivia, India and Mali: Water, land and people - voices and insgihts from three continents
This article contains the experiences of three learning groups, from Bolivia, India and Mali, in joint reflection and learning about integrated water management.
RIPPLE project in Ethiopia
Powerpoint presentation by Tom Slaymaker and Marieke Adank given at the Thematic Group Meeting in London, 2007.
Pathways for scalig up mus in Honduras
Powerpoint presentation by Stef Smits, IRC, given at the Thematic Group Meeting in London, 2007.
Learning alliances for mus in India and Nepal
Powerpoint presentation by Monique Mikhail, International Development Enterprises, given at the Thematic Group Meeting in London, 2007.
The Elephant Pump programme
Powerpoint presentation by Ian Thorpe, PumpAid, given at the Thematic Group Meeting in London, 2007.
Experiences with scaling up mus in Plan Zimbabwe
Powerpoint presentation by Bart Mupeta, Plan Zimbabwe, Martin Keijzer, Plan Netherlands and Amy Dietterich, Plan UK, given at the Thematic Group Meeting in London, 2007.
Synthesis of the MUS Project
Powerpoint presentation by Stef Smits, IRC, given at the Thematic Group Meeting in London, 2007.
Winner of case study award 2006: PLAN Zimbabwe
This year’s case study award goes to Nigel Murimiradzomba from Plan Zimbabwe. Out of the submitted abstracts, his was considered the best and will now be developed into a full case study. His work deals with one of Plan’s programmes where the provision of drip irrigation kits was part of a rural water supply programme. This allowed farmers to also use water for gardening activities. The drip kits reduce water losses and enable better use of limited water supplies. One of his key findings is to link such programmes with production-market chain linkages i.e. input/seed suppliers, suppliers of technology and market outlets, so as to optimize the benefits of the programme.
Presentation to WSSCC
Powerpoint presentation for workshop at WSSCC on 18 April, 2007.
Health impacts of reuse of wastewater
A powerpoint presented by Ann Thomas, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), in Delft, 2007, on health impacts of reuse of wastewater.
Sally Sutton - Self supply : incremental improvement and personal investment in rural water supply
Paper presented by Sally Suttonat the 5th RWSN Forum, Accra, Ghana, 2006.
Self supply is a rural water strategy rather than just low cost technologies. It builds on the largely unrecognised but great investment rural people have already made in their own water supplies, especially at household level. Particularly in areas where comunal approaches are of quetionable sustainability, people can be encouraged to improve their own supplies rathet than remaining dependent on the timing and policies of donors and governments. [authors abstract]
Water and livelihoods in urban areas in India
A paper presented by Joep Verhagen, IRC. This case study argues that predominant focus of the MUS-group should be widened to include MUS in urban areas. The study found that (a) an inadequate water supply leads to a considerable loss of income especially for women and (b) that water is being used for productive uses in a large number of urban livelihoods. However, considering the large number of institutions involved in urban water supply, projects to improve urban water supply will be only successful when all stakeholders are involved in the project. For more info see http://www.musgroup.net/page/634
Rainwater harvesting for multiple uses
A powerpoint presented by Kirsten Neke, RAIN-foundation, on how rainwater harvesting can contribute to a multiple use approach.
NEWAH's approach to kitchen gardens in Nepal
A powerpoint presented by Labahari Budhathoki, Nepal Water and Health (NEWAH) on the approach of NEWAH towards promoting kitchen gardens alongside water supply in Nepal.
Irrigation-plus approaches to multiple use of water
A powerpoint presented by Barbara van Koppen and Eline Boelee on examples of multiple use of water in irrigation schemes: irrigation-plus.
Self-supply and multiple uses of water
A powerpoint presented by Sally Sutton, Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN). There is a growing awareness of the investment people have made and could make in their own water supply in rural areas. This could be built upon especially if productive use brings a return on investment. The Self Supply approach largely removes the dilemmas of co-ordinating joint sector investments from agriculture and domestic water supply for multiple uses (see MUS Laos discussion), concentrating less on funded implementation and more on creating an enabling environment for people to develop their own solutions. As it is less a top-down donor approach and more a marketing of products and skills, there is a need to think of water supply less in terms of a necessary service and more as user defined solutions which should employ marketing principles for their growth. This in turn highlights some of the areas in which conventional rural water supply is weakest in its understanding of consumer attitudes and practices, which particularly affects sustainability. Marketing approaches to encourage and enable private investment among people who are poor (but generally find a way to attain goals if they really want to achieve them) form an area of common interest to MUS and Self Supply.
IFAD's interest in multiple uses
A powerpoint presented by Laurent Stravato, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on IFAD's interest in multiple uses of water.
Eco-sanitation
A powerpoint presented by Adriaan Mels, Okke Braadbaart, Jules van Lier and Grietje Zeeman, Lettinga Associates Foundation for Environmental Protection and Resource Conservation on how eco-sanitation relates to multiple uses of water.
Sanitation, wastewater and lilvelihoods
A powerpoint presented by Stef Smits on a framework of linkages between sanitation, wastewater and livelihoods
Costs and benefits of the multiple use approach
A powerpoint presented by Marieke Adank, IRC, in Delft, 2007, on a framework to evaluate the costs and benefits of the multiple use approach.
Livelihoods and growth?
This powerpoint presentation by Tom Slaymaker (ODI) aimed to show how sectoral debates relating to MUS can be linked to wider debates on ‘pro-growth’ and ‘livelihood protection and promotion’. The linkages between water livelihoods and growth is one of three major focus areas for the forthcoming ‘RiPPLE’ research program. Recent scoping work in Ethiopia explored the nature of the water-livelihood-growth relationship at micro, meso and macro levels and highlighted the issue of risk and vulnerability as a major constraint to growth in Ethiopia. Chronic poverty and food insecurity are prevalent in many low income countries and have important implications for the design of water sector interventions. To-date debates within the MUS group have tended to focus on livelihood benefits in terms of income poverty but our understanding of the role of MUS in helping poor households mitigate risk and vulnerability remains limited. Macro level growth debates tend to centre on issues of market access and asset inequality but we know very little about the relative importance of inequalities in water access vis-à-vis other forms of asset inequality (e.g. education, health, roads). Improved understanding of the linkages between MUS livelihoods and growth has potentially important implications for targeting and sequencing investment across sectors.