This paper aims to understand intrahousehold power dynamics and how these shape decisions around water collection and allocation. Social norms, property rights and water infrastructure all influence household members’ bargaining power and shape the context within which household decisions are made. Analysis of intrahousehold dynamics needs to go beyond considering dynamics between spouses, instead also considering others who also contribute to water collection and usage.
Published Article
Can solar water kiosks generate sustainable revenue streams for rural water services?
This study explores how upgrading water supply infrastructure influences user behaviour in rural Mali by modelling changes in revenue and volumetric water use when handpumps are upgraded to solar kiosks. Average monthly revenue is four times higher with solar kiosks, whilst payment collections increased and remained stable after upgrading handpumps to solar kiosks.
GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis model for utility water demand: The case of Lodwar Municipality, Turkana County, Kenya
Water shortage affects every continent and is listed as one of the largest global risks hence the need for proper management of water resources. Municipalities and cities worldwide are struggling to meet increasing demand for water amid rapid urbanization, increasing population growth, industrial development and expansion of human activities. This study used Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to develop a decision support model that can be applied to improve the utility water demand management for the Lodwar Municipality in Turkana Kenya. The results can help water utility managers and decision makers highlight suitable areas for network expansion as well as infrastructure management planning within the municipality.
Four billion people lack safe water
It is estimated that four billion people worldwide lack safe drinking water – double the number of people estimated in 2020. The new estimate by Esther Greenwood and colleagues published in Science Magazine is accompanied by a Perspective piece by REACH Director Rob Hope.
Resolving the Turkana Jet—Impact of Model Resolution in Simulating Channel Flow and Inversions
The Turkana Jet plays a pivotal role in the meteorology of East Africa and owes its existence to both large-scale dynamics and the representation of intricate local-scale processes. However, much of our understanding of the jet relies on reanalysis, and these along with climate models that produce important projections do not represent these local-scale processes. This study systematically investigates the impact of changing model horizontal and vertical resolution in simulating the Turkana Jet, and associated local and large-scale processes.
Water quality and unseen health outcomes: A cross-sectional study on arsenic contamination, subclinical disease and psychosocial distress in Bangladesh
Health risks from water quality pose a major threat to billions of people globally. Most microbial contaminants have short subclinical periods, compared to chemical contaminants that can take years to manifest, which can translate to less attention in the policy sphere. This paper presents a cross-sectional study of water quality in Bangladesh, assessing both subclinical disease and the psychosocial distress associated with varying water quality issues.
Is volumetric pricing for drinking water an effective revenue strategy in rural Mali?
This paper is based on an analysis of over 4,000 months of handpump revenue data in Mali, exploring the effect on revenue and usage when a water service switches from a volumetric tariff to a monthly flat fee. The switch from volumetric to flat fees led to three times more monthly revenue, although a subsidy gap persists. Flat fees and higher temperatures were linked to higher water usage, offering insights into the role of professional service delivery models to support climate-resilient and reliable drinking water supplies for rural communities.
Ensuring sustainable water security through sustainable land management: Research evidences for policy
Land degradation is adversely affecting over 75% of the Earth’s land surface and could exceed 90% by 2050. Likewise, the rate of soil erosion will increase by 66% during the period 2015–2070. Sustainable land management (SLM) practices are key to reducing rates of land degradation and are proven to ensure water security by increasing soil moisture availability, decreasing surface runoff, decreasing soil erosion, increasing infiltration, and decreasing flood discharge. In Ethiopia, over 85% of the land is moderately to very severely degraded at an estimated cost of $4.6 billion annually. This research highlights the importance of developing an SLM-water security policy to make the most of SLM techniques at a local and national scale.
Tracing contaminants of emerging concern in the Awash River basin, Ethiopia
This study focuses on characterization of Emerging Organic Contaminants (EOCs) in the Awash River basin. Characterization of the EOCs was supplemented by chemical analysis of samples from river, boreholes, tap water, and surface water reservoirs. Analyses of environmental isotopes (δ 2 H, δ 18 O, and 222Rn) were used to investigate the exchange of contaminants between surface and groundwater supply sources. The analysis showed new types of contaminants in the water supply sources with potential impact on human and wider environmental health.
Demystifying Heavy Metals and Physicochemical Characteristics of Groundwater in a Volcano-Tectonic Region of Middle Awash, Ethiopia, for Multipurpose Use
This study investigates the concentrations of physicochemical and heavy metal contaminants in the groundwater of the Middle Awash Basin, Ethiopia, to inform targeted water management strategies. After collecting groundwater samples during both the dry (June) and wet (October) seasons of 2021, the study found significant levels of contamination, including extraordinarily high concentrations of total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity. Over half of the groundwater sources were unsuitable for drinking, posing significant health risks to local communities that rely heavily on these sources due to limited access to clean surface water. These findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive groundwater management and remediation plans in the Middle Awash region to ensure safe and sustainable water use.
