A mixed methods study to evaluate participatory mapping for rural water safety planning in western Kenya

Abstract

Water safety planning is an approach to ensure safe drinking-water access through comprehensive risk assessment and water supply management from catchment to consumer. However, its uptake remains low in rural areas. Participatory mapping, the process of map creation for resource management by local communities, has yet to be used for rural water safety planning. In this mixed methods study, to evaluate the validity of participatory mapping outputs for rural water safety planning and assess community understanding of water safety, 140 community members in Siaya County, Kenya, attended ten village-level participatory mapping sessions. They mapped drinking-water sources, ranked their safety and mapped potential contamination hazards. Findings were triangulated against a questionnaire survey of 234 households, conducted in parallel. In contrast to source type ranking for international monitoring, workshop participants ranked rainwater’s safety above piped water and identified source types such as broken pipes not explicitly recorded in water source typologies often used for formal monitoring. Participatory mapping also highlighted the overlap between livestock grazing areas and household water sources. These findings were corroborated by the household survey and subsequent participatory meetings. However, comparison with household survey data suggested participatory mapping outputs omitted some water sources and landscape-scale contamination hazards, such as open defecation areas or flood-prone areas. In follow-up visits, participant groups ranked remediation of rainwater harvesting systems as the most acceptable intervention to address hazards. We conclude that participatory mapping can complement other established approaches to rural water safety planning by capturing informally managed source use and facilitating community engagement.

Modelling seasonal household variation in harvested rainwater availability: a case study in Siaya County, Kenya

“…It, therefore, seems plausible that this finding reflects rationing of harvested rainwater by households lacking access to an alternative improved source. In contrast, households with multiple improved source options may temporarily substitute rainwater for drinking water from other improved sources when available, since rainwater is free-of-charge and often considered safe and palatable by Siaya residents 23 . Such potential behavioural and consumption patterns may explain the apparent intermittencies in RWH availability for households with alternative improved sources during the short rains in Fig.…”

“…Resident communities suffer high poverty levels 38 and a high burden of infectious diseases 39 concurrently. In Siaya County, rainwater is widely considered the safest and most preferred drinking water source by the local communities according to their religious perceptions 23 . Approximately 32% of Asembo households consumed rainwater 40 .…”

Sostenibilidad De La Cosecha De Agua Pluvial Como Alternativa De Abrevadero Para Ganado en Zona Rural Del Distrito De Ilave-Perú

“…Sin embargo, muchos reservorios diseñados para bebedero de ganado contribuyen a una cohabitación pacífica de los pequeños reservorios para producción de hortalizas y el bebedero del ganado reduciendo la incidencia de conflictos (Ayantunde et al, 2018). Estos reservorios y sistemas de recarga en zonas semiáridas contribuyen a la seguridad hídrica en zonas rurales (Kiggundu et al, 2018;Okotto-Okotto et al, 2021;Mamani et al, 2016). Asimismo, Sagarpa (2017) y FAO (2013) mencionan las cantidades que se deben proporcionar en forma diaria como bebida para animales, los cuales pueden utilizar el agua de l l u v i a ( B r o w n M a n r i q u e e t a l .…”