Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN), Newsletter April 2008

Change of RWSN Chair

After 5 years as Chair of RWSN it is a great pleasure to hand over the chair to my colleague Clarissa Brocklehurst, Chief Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) UNICEF. WSP-Africa, SKAT and UNICEF have played the lead role in recent years promoting RWSN activities. The partnership has grown with considerable contributions from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other agencies recently.

RWSN has moved significantly to broaden the discussion and knowledge sharing from its former focus on handpumps to include several other aspects of rural water development. These include the development of cost-effective borehole programs, better understanding of self-supply (which is such a prevalent source of water for the rural poor) and developing more sustainable supply chains, especially for handpumps. The highlights of my tenure as chair have been broadening the scope of RWSN, a more intensive focus on Africa and the RWSN Ghana forum, which was an exciting and important venue for exchange between rural water supply practitioners.

The RWSN in one of the few global learning networks, that specifically focuses on the neglected field of rural water supply. In handing over to Clarissa, it is an opportunity for RWSN to renew its global focus, and for UNICEF to strengthen their engagement in global learning in rural water. WSP will continue to support RWSN, as Wambui Gichuri takes over the representation of WSP on the RWSN steering and implementation committees.

It was a privilege to serve as Chair of RWSN and I wish Clarissa all the best in the cause of promoting sustainable rural water supply.

Piers Cross (http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=pcross@worldbank.org)

Building on initiatives that people take themselves to improve their own water supplies.

In Uganda, a self-supply pilot project, supported by the Ministry of Water and Environment, has just been completed. The pilot was implemented by two local NGOs (UMURDA and WEDA) over a 16-month period. It resulted in the improvement of 41 water sources, as well as the learning of numerous lessons with respect to how self-supply can be effectively supported. A report on each water source improvement is available: http://www.rwsn.ch/documentation/skatdocumentation.2008-04-19.9358054991

If you would like more information about the Uganda pilot project, and the next phase of work planned with respect to self-supply, please contact Aaron Kabirizi (http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=kabirizi@dwd.co.ug) or Joel Kiwanuka (http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=kiwanukajoel@yahoo.com).

Sally Sutton presented a paper at the 2006 WEDC Conference in Accra entitled “The Risks of a Technology-based MDG Indicator for Rural Water Supplies” (http://www.rwsn.ch/documentation/skatdocumentation.2008-04-22.0427784272).

The paper points out that improved water supplies that are considered as acceptable by most Governments and donors (eg well with handpump, protected spring, piped water) cost between $3,000 and $10,000, which is too expensive for users to pay for themselves. A key reason for considering such technologies acceptable is the assumption that such sources are reliable and of an acceptable water quality. Sally’s paper highlights the fact that water quality data to verify this is sparse and that greater data collection and more objective assessments of performance is required.

In line with this, RWSN is interested in collating reports on water quality and performance assessments of unimproved, semi-improved (eg open well, bucket and windlass) and improved water supplies. Information regarding water quality in the home is also highly being sought. If you have information to share, please send it to http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.

For more information about self-supply, contact Sally Sutton on http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.

Update on Cost-Effective Boreholes (CEB)

Policies are adopted and practices followed which bring about cost-effective boreholes in sub-Saharan Africa.

RWSN continues to focus on Nigeria with the inaugural meeting for the Nigeria Drillers Association due to be held in June/July. Dotun Adekile (http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=dotunadekile@yahoo.com) can provide further information.

The Cost-Effective Boreholes working group’s paper for the 2006 WEDC Conference is now available: http://www.rwsn.ch/documentation/skatdocumentation.2008-04-19.5002404274. The paper to sets out the key factors that affect the quality and cost of drilled water wells in sub-Saharan Africa and provides a simple conceptual framework for decision makers.

UNICEF Nigeria has just commissioned a study into cost-effective boreholes in Nigeria. The study will provide key insights for the private sector, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR) and State Governments and set the foundation for strategic actions to be taken forwards. For more information contact Mohamed El-Fatih (http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=melfatih@unicef.org).

RWSN’s Hand Drilling Cluster Group continues to expand and is actively seeking membership from organizations and individuals involved in hand drilling in Asia. Recent developments include the realization of substantial growth of hand drilling in parts of Nigeria, demonstration of hand drilled wells for domestic water supplies in Niger and some insights into the impact of water on the farm in Nicaragua. If you would like to find out more, or receive the cluster group newsletter, please contact Kerstin Danert on http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch. The latest Hand Drilling Newsletter is available on: http://www.rwsn.ch/documentation/skatdocumentation.2008-04-14.6339113535

UNICEF is developing a Code of a Practice for Cost-Effective Borehole Drilling. If you would like to review and make comments on the zero draft, please contact us http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.

For more information about cost-effective boreholes in general, contact Kerstin Danert on http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.

Update on Sustainable Water Supply Systems

AGUASAN is an interdisciplinary Swiss community of practice bringing together a wide range of specialists to promote wider and deeper understanding of key issues in water supply and sanitation. As part of the knowledge management strategy of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) it organises an international AGUASAN workshop every year in Switzerland. The 24th consecutive workshop will be held from 13th to 17th October 2008. The topic of the workshop will be ‘Innovative management approaches for sustainable rural and small town water & sanitation services’.

Rhetoric and reality of Operation and Maintenance of Rural Water Supplies: RWSN is compiling reports of experiences, case studies and evaluations regarding the operation and maintenance of rural water supplies in sub-Saharan Africa. We would like to hear from you! Please send your contributions to Kerstin Danert on http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.

Update on Handpump Technology

UNICEF has developed its WASH Strategy for the next 10 years. Part of this strategy is to liaise with partners to identify common types of existing Water and Sanitation Packages. SKAT/RWSN was approached by UNICEF Supply Division to define Water and Sanitation Packages. These packages should be in line with the ones used by governments and development partners to ensure maximum benefits from standardization especially in view of achieving sustainable operation and maintenance structures. The final packages will provide tangible descriptions, and better specified products allowing smoother procurement processes (facilitate forecasting, budgeting, requisitioning). RWSN expects that these packages will be available in the second half of 2008.

For more information on technologies please contact http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=erich.baumann@skat.ch or http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.

Events

24 - 28th June 2008: International conference on Groundwater & Climate in Africa. Kampala, Uganda. http://www.gwclim.org/.

2nd to 3rd Oct 2008: International Seminar “Water in Africa: Hydro-Pessimism or Hydro-Optimism?, Porto, Portugal. Organised by Centro de Estudos Africanos da Universidade do Porto (CEAUP) and the Fundação Engº António de Almeida. Abstracts (250 words) are to be submitted by the 30th April 2008. For more information visit http://www.africanos.eu/

11 to 13 November 2008: 2nd International WASH Practitioners’ Marketplace and Fair at Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh, organized by Streams of Knowledge and the NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation. It aims to bring together some 150 participants from Water and Sanitation Resource Centres, donors, service providers, small-scale providers, private sector and other WASH stakeholders. For detailed information, please visit http://www.streams.net/ or http://www.streams.net/index.php?taskId=1128

1st to 5th December 2008: International Conference on Water Scarcity, Global Changes and Groundwater Management Responses. University of California, Irvine, USA. Email http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=UNESCOUC@uci.edu for more details. Note that abstracts are to be submitted by the 30th April.

Membership

RWSN membership is open to individuals and organisations that support rural people throughout the world to improve access to their water supplies. RWSN currently has over 1,500 members, including professionals in numerous Governments and NGOs, the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), UNICEF and WaterAid. SKAT runs the secretariat. Members contribute to the network by providing information, time and financial resources. If you wish to join RWSN, just register on our website: http://www.rwsn.ch/ or contact http://uk.f270.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rwsn@skat.ch.