Training needs for water demand management

Groundwater Data Management by Water Service Providers in Peri-Urban Areas of Lusaka

“…This is consistent with the findings from Mwendera et al [20] within the WDM framework; but unlike that study, which highlights a lack of commitment to implement WDM guidelines, participants, certain Water Trust managers in particular, were found to have a strong desire to be trained and improve. This was also the case in a study by Gumbo et al [19], who found that demand for WDM training in Southern Africa was high, including among experienced water professionals.…”

“…Within IWRM, Water Demand Management (WDM), or water conservation, in particular, is a way to overcome the challenge of urban water supply by focusing on optimisation of current resources rather than the expansion of services [17]. With high unaccounted-for water in many cities of Southern Africa, including Lusaka [18,19], WDM would highly benefit the poorest parts of the population [17]. Capacity building at all levels has been identified as a crucial need in WDM: it is essential that professionals are trained and enabled to transfer their know-how to end-users, and that WDM is conducted mainly at a local level [20,21].…”

“…In Nairobi, shortages in central utility water supplies mean that many private boreholes are being drilled with no central records kept [23]. Gumbo et al [19] also identified a lack of data and of comprehensive information systems; giving four examples in cities of Southern Africa, they present the benefits of a Management Information System as a tool for good WDM. However, the systems focus only on pipe network related data (e.g., number of connections, non-revenue water, etc.)…”

Perceptions of water scarcity: The case of Genadendal and outstations

“…Recent efforts to move southern African states toward demand management practices also suggest that scarcity is in part socially constructed: reflecting historical patterns of infrastructure development, institutional management practices, and popular perceptions about the 'god given' nature of water (Swatuk, 2002;Gumbo et al, 2004). Thus, managing demand can create more water without tampering with the hydrological cycle.…”

“…However, as demonstrated by Swatuk (2005), changing historical practice is largely a political issue. In the South African case, results have been haphazard at best (Gumbo et al, 2004 had been developed, they were said to be entering a condition of high water stress. Where less than 10 per cent of the resource was developed, there was said to be low water stress.…”