Rural Africa lags behind global progress to provide safe drinking water to everyone. This paper explores why rural water is different for communities, schools, and healthcare facilities across characteristics of scale, institutions, demand, and finance.
Research theme
Hybrid water rights systems for pro-poor water governance in Africa
This study, based in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, explores the implications of permit systems for both the most vulnerable and the state, and, identifies options for pro-poor water legislation that also meet the water governance requirements of the state.
Use of 222Rn and δ18O-δ2H Isotopes in detecting the origin of water and in quantifying groundwater inflow rates in an alarmingly growing lake, Ethiopia
Lake Beseka, located within Ethiopia’s Awash Basin, has expanded from 2 km2 to 50 km2 over the last 60 years, causing serious engineering and socio-economic challenges. This study uses Dual Radon and δ18O-δ2H isotopes to detect the origin of water and quantify groundwater inflow rates.
Evaluating the CMIP5 ensemble in Ethiopia: Creating a reduced ensemble for rainfall and temperature in Northwest Ethiopia and the Awash basin
This study is an evaluation of the historical skill of models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in two regions of Ethiopia: northwestern Ethiopia and the Awash, one of the main Ethiopian river basins.
Concept mapping: Engaging stakeholders to identify factors that contribute to empowerment in the water and sanitation sector in West Africa
This study used concept mapping to uncover the meaning and key dimensions of empowerment in WASH among stakeholders in Ghana and Burkina Faso. The study was part of initial steps toward choosing indicators for developing an Empowerment in WASH Index.
Examining the economics of affordability through water diaries in Coastal Bangladesh
Monitoring affordability of drinking water services is constrained by data gaps from traditional approaches that rely on cross-sectional data from infrequent, nationally representative surveys. This research present findings from an 18-week water diary study that documented daily water choices and expenditures of a stratified sample of 120 households in coastal Bangladesh.
Empowerment in WASH Index
This brief presents the Empowerment in WASH Index (EWI), a new tool for measuring empowerment in the water, sanitation and health sector, and shows how it has been applied in Burkina Faso.
Modelling heavy metals in the Buriganga River System, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Impacts of tannery pollution control
The industry intensive capital area of Bangladesh is impacted with high levels of metals pollution in rivers in the Greater Dhaka Watershed. This research assesses pollution in the Buriganga river system using river sampling as well as simulating metals using the INCA model.
Streamflow response to climate change in the Greater Horn of Africa
The Greater Horn of Africa region increasingly experiences high risk of water scarcity. This research published in Climate Change finds that future streamflow will decrease as a result of climate change in major trans-boundary rivers in the Horn of Africa.
Guideline: Selection, training and managing para-hydrologists
This guideline is aimed at technical staff involved in introducing community-based monitoring (CBM) and gives guidance on the selection, training and managing of para-hydrologists to ensure the successful running of CBM.
