This paper reports the main findings from a multi-country research project designed to develop a better understanding of the performance of community-managed rural water supply systems in developing countries. Data was collected from households, village water committees, focus groups of village residents, system operators, and key informants in 400 rural communities in Peru, Bolivia, and Ghana. Our findings suggest that the demand-driven, community management model, coupled with access to spare parts and some technical expertise, has come a long way toward unravelling the puzzle of how to best design and implement rural water supply programs in developing countries. In all three countries, rural water supply projects were quot;workingquot;. Among the households included in our sample in Peru and Bolivia, 95 percent had operational taps at the time of our field visit. In 90 percent of the villages in Ghana, all project boreholes were still working. Not only were the rural water systems not broken down, but almost all the households in these communities were using at least some of their water from the systems. However, some households were also still using water from other sources. In Ghana, 38 percent of households still reported using water from unprotected sources (e.g. springs, rivers and open wells) for drinking and/or cooking. Another troublesome finding is that rural households in the sample villages are paying very little for the improved water services, and, as a result, the finances of many village water committees are in poor shape.

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.

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.

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:

South Asia Rural Development Series. Since the inception of the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-85) and the launch of the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, India has substantially increased its commitment to the water supply and sanitation sector. Sector investments have increased and presently make up about 3 percent of the national budget. Rural Water Supply and Sanitation discusses issues such as protection of water sources, institutional performance, and sector reform strategy.

Projects implementation in may Sub Saharan countries are always established to allieviate perceived need. In the case of water, the aim is to provide clean safe water to communities in needs. In most rural areas and in conflict prone areas, such kind of projects faces enormous challanges. South Sudan have been in war for decade and sectorian conflict affect many communities living in the rural areas. A number of factors affect the management of community water projects. Some of these risk factors are associated with conflict and continued political unrest in many sub saharan Africa. The most striking ones include competition among water service providers, use sub-standard equipment, political leaders interferences, limited finances, insufficient use of existing policies, incomplete project implementation and poor governance. The book is derived from a study carried in order to dentifiy, analyse and respond to risks arising either positively or negatively that affect the water projects rendering community at risk. A mixed research methods that involved both primary and secondary data sources was used to collect date for this book. A purposive sampling method used utilizing semi-structured questionnaires and interviews in order to collect releveance data and analyze the risks involved in the community water kiosks in South Sudan. Successsful community water project require holistic approach that should involves all the stakeholders, strengheneing institutional capacity and enactment of better laws and regulations including contract laws. In addition the use of modern business tools and techniques including cost management, operational management, risk management and project management can greatly enhance the performance of the water kiosk projects.