Meeting need and achieving sustainability in water project interventions

Abstract

This paper reviews common reasons postulated for the failure of many externally funded projects to improve the water supplies of people in poor rural areas of developing countries. Analysis of survey data from Tanzania shows that villages most in need of water supply improvements are unlikely to benefit from short-term interventions based on ‘dig-install-depart’ models. Excess availability and low value placed on labour in poor village communities reduce the chances that necessary effort and resources will be deployed to maintain water schemes following the withdrawal of funding agencies. The paper concludes that, to reduce poverty, interventions must be accompanied by broader packages of prolonged support, enabling communities to develop the skills and obtain the means to maintain improvements in the long term.