Rural Water Supply Network

Rural Water Supply Network
Name	Rural Water Supply Network
Formation	1980s
Type	Non-profit / Sector network
Location	Global
Fields	Water supply, Sanitation, Rural development

Rural Water Supply Network

The Rural Water Supply Network is an international sector network focused on improving water supply services for rural development communities through knowledge exchange, capacity building, and policy advocacy. It connects practitioners from institutions such as the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, USAID, DFID (now Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), and regional bodies like the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank. The network engages with NGOs, utilities, research institutes, and universities including WaterAid, Oxfam, IRC, Skat Foundation, Columbia University, MIT, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford.

Overview

The network convenes stakeholders from agencies such as UNESCO, FAO, ILO, GIZ, JICA, and SIDA alongside professional associations like the International Water Association and the American Water Works Association. It disseminates guidance influenced by landmark initiatives including the Sustainable Development Goals, especially United Nations General Assembly Resolutions on water, the Millennium Development Goals, and commitments made at conferences like the World Water Forum and the UN Water Conference. Key donors and partners include Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, European Commission, Norad, and Irish Aid.

Design and Infrastructure

Design guidance draws on historical work from projects financed by ADB and African Development Bank and technical standards referenced by ISO and IEC. Engineering approaches adapt lessons from Rural Electrification Administration models, Irrigation Districts schemes, and innovations tested at institutions such as Cranfield University, TU Delft, ETH Zurich, and University of Sheffield. Technologies integrated include handpumps like the India Mark II, rotor pumps used in projects by World Vision, solar-powered systems promoted by Practical Action, gravity-fed systems modeled after Peruvian Andean schemes, and community-built wells inspired by Grameen Bank initiatives. Construction practices reference manuals from UNICEF Supply Division, WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, and the Water and Sanitation Program (World Bank).

Water Sources and Treatment

Source selection aligns with hydrogeological surveys by entities such as the US Geological Survey, British Geological Survey, and national water institutes like Kenya Water Institute and Instituto Geofísico del Perú. Surface sources (rivers, lakes) and groundwater (aquifers, springs) are evaluated using methods used by International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre and Hydrogeology Journal research. Treatment options include chlorination strategies from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slow sand filtration approaches documented by Wageningen University, point-of-use technologies endorsed by PATH, ceramic filters from Practical Action pilots, and UV systems developed by Eawag. Water quality monitoring is informed by standards from Environmental Protection Agency (United States), Public Health England, and laboratory protocols at National Institutes of Health.

Distribution and Delivery

Distribution models range from pipeline networks supported by utilities like Thames Water and Suez (company) to decentralized schemes practiced by CARE International and Mercy Corps. Delivery mechanisms include water vending documented in World Bank case studies, community-managed standpipes found in Bolivia and Kenya, tanker services regulated by municipal authorities such as Lagos State Water Corporation, and household connections inspired by Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration. Logistics and asset management use GIS tools developed by Esri and data platforms like OpenStreetMap; billing and customer service draw on management systems promoted by African Water Association and Latin American Water Directors.

Management and Governance

Governance models feature community-based organizations, cooperatives, public utilities, and public-private partnerships seen in arrangements with firms like Veolia and Suez (company). Capacity building involves training curricula from ILO, certification programs at AWWA, and academic courses at Imperial College London. Policy frameworks reference national ministries (e.g., Ministry of Water Resources (China), Ministry of Water and Sanitation (Ghana)) and regional policies such as the African Ministers' Council on Water declarations. Monitoring and evaluation draw on indicator frameworks from UNICEF, WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, and impact assessment methods used by DFID and USAID.

Financing and Sustainability

Financial models include tariffs, cross-subsidies, microfinance from institutions like Grameen Bank and Kiva, results-based financing piloted by Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches, and blended finance instruments promoted by IFC and European Investment Bank. Lifecycle costing follows tools developed by WASHCost and Skat Foundation guidance. Sustainability strategies incorporate climate resilience measures from IPCC assessments, watershed protection supported by The Nature Conservancy, and payment-for-ecosystem-services pilots linked to World Resources Institute analyses.

Challenges and Solutions

Common challenges documented in case studies by World Bank, UNICEF, Oxfam, and WaterAid include seasonal variability, contamination events (e.g., Arsenic contamination in Bangladesh), infrastructure degradation, and institutional fragmentation noted in reports by OECD and SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute). Solutions promoted involve integrated water resources management advocated by Global Water Partnership, decentralization reforms examined in Asian Development Bank literature, community-led total sanitation approaches from Plan International and SNV, and technological innovations such as smart sensors from IBM and remote sensing used by NASA and European Space Agency. Cross-sector collaboration draws on lessons from Carter Center campaigns, post-disaster rehabilitation led by Red Cross, and pro-poor service models analyzed by Brookings Institution and Center for Global Development.

Category:Rural development