The supply of reliable and safe water is a key challenge for developing countries, particularly India. Community management has long been the declared model for rural water supply and is recognised to be critical for its implementation and success. Based on 20 detailed successful case studies from across India, this book outlines future rural water supply approaches for all lower-income countries as they start to follow India on the economic growth (and subsequent service levels) transition. The case studies cover state-level wealth varying from US$2,600 to US$10,000 GDP per person and a mix of gravity flow, single village and multi-village groundwater and surface water schemes. The research reported covers 17 states and surveys of 2,400 households. Together, they provide a spread of cases directly relevant to policy-makers in lower-income economies planning to upgrade the quality and sustainability of rural water supply to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the context of economic growth.

Richard Carter weaves together the myriad of factors that need to come together to make rural water supply truly available to everyone. He concludes that ultimately, systemic change to the global web of injustice that divides this world into rich and poor may be the only way to address the underlying problem.

This book offers insights into ways countries and individual organisations can move towards a service delivery approach and is a valuable resource for professionals in who are interested in improving the design and implementation of rural water supply programmes. Published in association with IRC.

This book is designed to assist those responsible for planning, implementing and supporting rural water supply prograames to increase sustainability.

Community management has become the leading concept for implementing water supply systems in rural areas . In the light of two decades of experience, this book considers the opportunities and constraints of community management in providing a service to the millions of people who need it:

This book is for those who are in charge of facilitating community management of water supplies. It provides guidelines and food for thought for managers and decision-makers who want to improve the performance of their organization and make sure that water supply services in place keep working. It answers such questions as: what kind of support do communities require? How can this support be provided? What are the organizational conditions we need to put in place? What tools can we use? Who should be involved? What does it demand from support organizations and the communities? In other words: what does it take to support community management of water supplies.