Water Supply and Health

Hunter, Paul R.; MacDonald, Alan; Carter, Richard

doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000361

Cited by 408 publications

(261 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In assessing the other drivers of sustained functionality, through GMFs, the amenity of the water system was found to be crucial, that is: what is the value to users of the water supply, and what value is added to the lives of users? Factors identified within water systems as being crucial to maintaining good health are water quality, time or distance to access, quantity available, reliability of access and cost and ease of management [42]. With the exception of management, these factors are also identified as shortcomings in the measurement of Millennium Development Goal 7c "to halve the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water".…”

Section: Amenity: Water Quality Quantity and Time To Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Causal Loop Diagramming to Explore the Drivers of the Sustained Functionality of Rural Water Services in Timor-Leste

Neely

Walters

2016

Sustainability

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Abstract:It is recognized that international water sector development work has issues with a lack of sustained positive outcomes. A large driver of this outcome is how NGOs work with communities to implement and then manage water services. Many NGOs tend to focus their efforts on improving their reach and organisational growth by continually engaging in new projects. This behaviour is largely driven by short-term donor funding models that reward extended coverage, leaving little focus on sustained outcomes. Similarly, community-based management (CBM) schemes often impede sustained services as a result of the community's limited capacity to operate and maintain the technology. To explore these complicated drivers on water service sustainability, we used causal loop diagramming to analyse the key aspect influencing the combined dynamics between NGOs, donors and CBM. We demonstrate this methodology through a study in Timor-Leste, where we gathered data necessary to develop and apply causal loop diagrams to analyse rural water supply program outcomes. The analysis of these diagrams allowed identification of leverage points used to suggest structural changes for sustained benefits of water services. These structural changes emphasize the importance of increased robustness and reliability of water technology and the associated impact this has on community satisfaction and, conjointly, on water service sustainability.

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Section: Amenity: Water Quality Quantity and Time To Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Causal Loop Diagramming to Explore the Drivers of the Sustained Functionality of Rural Water Services in Timor-Leste

Neely

Walters

2016

Sustainability

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“…There is little or no incentive for the private industry to invest in innovation, design, development and technology improvement of hand pumps due to the low return, since most of rural African communities do not have the capacity or means to purchase hand pumps on their own. From the demand side, contributing factors include: lack of adequate institutional support for operation and maintenance; lack of financing mechanisms, often being dependent on donor funding; inadequate provision of technical assistance for training in maintenance; and the lack of community participation ( [8]; [9]; [10]; [11]; [12]; [13]). The lack of technology management plans and project management skills have also been detrimental to project success [7].…”

Section: Technology Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary reason for these high failure rates, and hence low sustainability, is insufficient attention to operation and maintenance of the pump [8]. Other reasons include poor financial management [9], a mismatch between the technology, the water environment, and the capacity of users to maintain the systems [11], and borehole failure [16]. There are a variety of rural water supply sustainability frameworks, approaches and initiatives in the literature.…”

Section: Sustainability Of Hand Pumpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology transfer of hand pumps in rural communities of Swaziland: Towards sustainable project life cycle management

Baraki

Brent

2013

Technology in Society

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Abstract:The research summarised in this paper explored the reasons behind the high failure rates of hand pumps from a technology transfer perspective, by examining the existing hand pump technology transfer practices and procedures in Swaziland where over 3,000 hand pumps were installed and about 60% are not working. The research determined that there is a lack of proper, structured and sustainable knowledge sharing practices among the main stakeholders, suppliers, providers, users, and the government. It was observed that operations and maintenance, knowledge management, and the integration of a project life cycle management approach were crucial elements for the sustainability of hand pumpbased rural water supply projects. Users have little involvement throughout the project life cycle; they do not know where and how to access parts, the majority of the areas do not have trained technicians, and government does not have stock for parts. There is poor communication between the users and suppliers, which is critical for product improvement and product support. It is therefore necessary to have a balanced focus on resource allocation for a hard and soft technology transfer process. A maintenance model resulting from the study aims to provide for practical co-ordination involving all the major stakeholders. Its objective is to establish a sustainable institutional support system through a public/private partnership.

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“…9 Moreover, access to sanitation and water infrastructure, considered forgotten foundations in health, 10 reduces child morbidity and mortality by encouraging the formation of well-being behaviors. [11][12][13] However, infrastructure development is usually coupled with increased population density and spatial proximity of households, which can increase transmission of infectious diseases. 14,15 For enteric pathogens, in particular, factors such as crowding within the home 16,17 and higher household density have been associated with increased risk of infection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prediction of Child Health by Household Density and Asset-Based Indices in Impoverished Indigenous Villages in Rural Panamá

Halpenny

Koski²,

Valdés³

et al. 2012

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. Chronic infection over a 16-month period and stunting of preschool children were compared between more spatially dense versus dispersed households in rural Panamá. Chronic protozoan infection was associated with higher household density, lower household wealth index, poor household water quality, yard defecation, and the practice of not washing hands with soap before eating. Models for chronic diarrhea confirmed the importance of household wealth, water quality, sanitation, and hygiene practices. Furthermore, chronic protozoan infection was an important predictor for low height-for-age, along with low household wealth index scores, but not household density. Thus, despite better access to health related infrastructure in the more densely populated households, chronic protozoan infection was more common, and was associated with higher rates of child stunting, compared with more dispersed households.

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Water Supply and Health

Abstract: As one article in a four-part PLoS Medicine series on water and sanitation, Paul Hunter and colleagues argue that much more effort is needed to improve access to safe and sustainable water supplies.

Cited by 408 publications

References 41 publications

Using Causal Loop Diagramming to Explore the Drivers of the Sustained Functionality of Rural Water Services in Timor-Leste

Using Causal Loop Diagramming to Explore the Drivers of the Sustained Functionality of Rural Water Services in Timor-Leste

Technology transfer of hand pumps in rural communities of Swaziland: Towards sustainable project life cycle management

Prediction of Child Health by Household Density and Asset-Based Indices in Impoverished Indigenous Villages in Rural Panamá

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