Results

F. Hagos, T. Slaymaker, J. Tucker, E. Ludi, E. Boelee & S. Awulachew: Poverty impacts of improved access to water and sanitation in Ethiopia

It is often argued that investments in water supply and sanitation (WSS) generate wide-ranging economic benefits. At the household level improved access to WSS is expected to lead to significant improvements not only in human health and welfare but also in levels of production and productivity. Investments in WSS are therefore considered important instruments for poverty reduction, but empirical evidence to support this remains quite limited. This study presents micro-evidence from a survey of 1500 households in Ethiopia on the economic impacts of improved access to WSS. We found that access to improved WSS has a strong statistical association with increased household water consumption and decreased average time spent to fetch water. Because of this time saving, household members with access to improved sources were also found to be more likely to participate in off-farm/non-farm employment. We also found strong evidence of positive impacts of improved access to WSS on health; although there are indications some type of illnesses may also have increased (e.g. water borne diseases). This evidence clearly shows that improving access to water supply infrastructure alone is not sufficient to bring about desired public health benefits. Interestingly, households with access to improved water supply and agricultural water were found to have significantly lower overall and food poverty levels in terms of incidence, depth and severity of poverty. Therefore, the pathways through which improved access to water supply has impacted poverty reduction in the study areas had to do with direct improved health benefits and through time-saving benefits induced increased participation of households in off/non-farm employment and irrigation. Determinants of off/non-farm employment and poverty were systematically analysed and factors identified and recommendations made to enhance these poverty impacts of water supply improvements. [authors abstract]

Jean-Marc Faurès, Guido Santini & Audrey Nepveu de Villemarceau: A livelihood approach to water interventions in rural areas and implications for Multiple Use Systems

Among all constraints to development, water has been systematically highlighted as one of the most important challenges to rural poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa. Highly variable and erratic precipitations, poor development of hydraulic infrastructure and markets, and lack of access to water for domestic and productive uses, all contribute to maintaining high the vulnerability of rural people in the region. Through a recent study, FAO and IFAD have been investigating the linkage between water and rural poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. The study argues that there are ample opportunities to invest in water in support to rural livelihoods in the region, but that interventions must be targeted adequately. The key word is “context-specificity”, and the main challenge is to understand where and how to invest. A comprehensive approach is needed, where investments in infrastructure are matched with interventions in institutions, knowledge and finance in ways that offer an opportunity to get the best return in terms of poverty reduction, and taking into account the extreme heterogeneity of situations faced by rural people over the region. Multiple use systems (MUS) are important in this context as infrastructure systems better address people’s need than sectoral water development programmes. The paper presents the main results of the study with special emphasis on the potential of investments in multiple use systems in the different livelihood zones of sub-Saharan Africa. [authors abstract]

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]

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]