Lockwood, H. and Smits, S. (2011). Supporting rural water supply : moving towards a service delivery approach. London, UK, Practical Action and The Hague, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. xii, 187 p. : 11 boxes, 13 fig., 14 tab. Includes references, glossary and index.
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Collectively, billions of dollars have been invested in the provision of rural water supply systems in developing countries over the past three decades. Although progress is being made and rates of coverage are increasing, users often find that, once installed, water supply systems are poorly maintained and eventually break down, leaving them with an unreliable and disrupted water supply.
Supporting Rural Water Supply takes a critical look and asks why we have been unable to provide a sustainable water service to rural people for so long? What are the critical success factors in the areas where there has been good progress? How can we support the adoption of a service delivery approach to rural water supply – one that moves beyond implementing infrastructure projects to delivering a reliable and indefinite service?
This book brings together findings from 13 country studies which were carried out as part of a global learning initiative – Sustainable Services at Scale, or Triple-S. It offers insights into ways countries and individual organisations can move towards a service delivery approach step by step and is a valuable resource for professionals in government departments, NGOs, development banks, and donor agencies who are interested in improving the design and implementation of rural water supply programmes and the benefits from investments. (publisher’s abstract).
Read the summaries or full reports for Benin, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Mozambique, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, USA, and Uganda.
The results from the Triple-S 13-country study were discussed and reviewed at a joint event organised on 27 September 2011 by the World Bank and USAID. Video, presentations and background documents available at: https://water.worldbank.org/water/node/84057
