Water Services
Water ServicesWater insecurity is a significant, heavily gendered, and growing driver of poverty, vulnerability and risk. This paper explores the linkages between the social protection, water and gender sectors. It examines the ways in which water insecurity restricts female participation in social protection (and related education and employment opportunities) and undermines social protection efforts to promote… Read more
This resource, written by Aguaconsult and WaterAid, has been developed primarily for WaterAid staff and partners to help in the selection of the most appropriate management models for piped water supply systems in rural and small-town contexts. The guide is also being made available as an external resource for other organisations, including national governments and… Read more
This annual review assesses the outputs of the Increasing sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) programme, and how they contribute to expected outcomes and their sustainability. The review also includes updated recommendations for improving integration of gender into WASH programming and assesses the implementation of the… Read more
This rapid review report has identified the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) options used in emergency settings, with decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) and mobile wastewater treatment units performing most effectively and with minimal costs. Examples are taken from refugee camps and internally displaced people (IDP) settlements due to the Iraq war, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, and… Read more
If WASH services are to deliver continuous benefits to users, they must be supported by strong, responsive, permanent in-country institutions. Strengthening permanent institutions is very challenging in difficult operating environments and requires approaches that work beyond the delivery of taps and toilets alone. This document is aimed at WASH practitioners and policy-makers developing management and support processes that ensure service… Read more
The Cost of Water Project supports the effective planning and sustainable management of water supply systems in refugee camps and settlements. Launched in 2014 by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Unit in DPSM’s Public Health Section in partnership with IRC, the project measures the overall costs of providing effective water systems in a variety… Read more
In early 2017, WSUP commissioned a situation analysis of urban sanitation services in Bangladesh, Ghana and Kenya, in order to identify potential research areas as part of the DFID-funded Urban Sanitation Research Initiative. Here, Goufrane Mansour (Aguaconsult, lead expert for the study) and Sam Drabble (WSUP, Research and Evaluation Manager) reflect on common findings across the three… Read more
This policy brief summarizes the key findings from a multi-country sustainability assessment of rural water service delivery models conducted in 2016–17. This assessment used a case-study approach to identify good practices and challenges towards building sector capacity and strengthening sustainable service delivery models for rural areas. It does not focus on the critical planning, design, and… Read more
With 2.1 billion people – mostly in rural areas – lacking safely managed drinking water and reported low rural water supply functionality rates, the Sustainable Development Goals pose a triple challenge: to reach unserved mostly rural population groups, to raise service levels, and to sustain existing and future services. This assessment uses a multi-country case… Read more
The focus of this Policy Research Digest is on the viability of community management as the predominant model – and policy approach – of many countries in the global south. Based on a review of existing and recent literature Harold Lockwood sets out the argument that while community management may not be sufficient as the predominant, or… Read more
If WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) services are to deliver continuous benefits to users they must be supported by strong, responsive in-country institutions. Strengthening of permanent institutions tasked with service management requires approaches that don’t simply stop at the delivery of taps and toilets, but extend to the whole service delivery chain. This document is… Read more