This Policy Brief, based on an article by Koehler et al (2018), explores how drinking water risks are managed in rural Africa and considers pluralist institutional arrangements that enable risks and responsibilities to be re-conceptualised and re-allocated between the state, market and communities to create value for rural water users.
Research theme
A cultural theory of drinking water risks, values and institutional change
In this article published in Global Environmental Change, the authors apply Mary Douglas’ cultural theory to rural waterpoint management and discuss its operationalisation in pluralist arrangements through networking different management cultures at scale. The theory is tested in coastal Kenya, drawing on findings from a longitudinal study of 3500 households.
The water diary method – proof-of-concept and policy implications for monitoring water use behaviour in rural Kenya
The water diaries method consists of collecting comprehensive evidence on daily sources, uses, cost and sufficiency of water, along with weekly household expenditures. In this paper, published in Water Policy, the authors pilot the water diaries method in Kitui, Kenya and evaluate its measurement, internal and external validity.
Exploring policy perceptions and responsibility of devolved decision-making for water service delivery in Kenya’s 47 county governments
This paper examines whether devolution to Kenya’s 47 counties advances the constitutional mandate for the human right to water. The author draws on interviews from all county water ministries to develop and test a sociopolitical risk model leveraging public choice theory.
Understanding river water quality risks to promote economic growth and reduce poverty in Dhaka
In this policy brief, the authors present new data and provisional findings from river water monitoring sites together with a survey of over 1,800 households. Regulatory compliance is assessed at these sites along the Tongi-Turag-Balu Rivers using spatial analysis and suggest strategies to support progress toward achieving target reductions in wastewater and improving safe water for all.
Resilient options for improving drinking water security in coastal Bangladesh
In this discussion brief the authors present key results from a household survey, a water audit, six focus group discussions and 12 key informant interviews conducted between December 2017 and February 2018 to collect empirical evidence on different aspects of safe and sustainable drinking water services in Polder 29, southwest coastal Bangladesh.
Sustaining safely managed drinking water services in rural schools in Chandpur District, Bangladesh
This discussion brief presents insights from a REACH pilot study which explores the benefits of new, automated data loggers, being installed on handpumps across schools in Chandpur District, Bangladesh. The data will be used to review current institutional design to manage and monitor handpumps so schools and their children can benefit from more reliable water.
Restoring water quality in the polluted Turag-Tongi-Balu river system, Dhaka: Modelling nutrient and total coliform intervention strategies
In this paper published in Science of the Total Environment, the authors use a model to assess the water quality of the Turag-Balu river system in Bangladesh, and explore scenarios to clean up the system.
The distributional and multi-sectoral impacts of rainfall shocks: Evidence from computable general equilibrium modelling for the Awash Basin, Ethiopia
In this paper published in Ecological Economics, the authors analyse the multi-sectoral and distributional economic impacts of rainfall shocks in the Awash river basin in Ethiopia.
Valuing water for sustainable development
Achieving universal, safely managed water and sanitation services by 2030 is projected to cost $114 billion per year. This Policy Forum published in Science addresses how we need to rethink the way we value and manage water for sustainable development.
