The importance of strengthening participation of local communities to improve water management in different economic development contexts, including sustainable water use and efficiency, and ensuring access to clean, safe and affordable water
What is meant by community?
A community "is not just a place.It is the common ground on which people join to meet needs and satisfy wants through activities with other people. In a community each person feels that he or she belongs and has an important part to play." Communities : a geographical study / C. Davey, J.S. Emery, A.K. Milne (1980)
Discuss: which communities are you a member of? How does membership of a community affect your behaviour? What do you understand by "community solutions" or "community management"?
Water in LICs
Lack of infrastructure
Poor quality or lack of drains, sewers and sewage treatment
Limited water purification
Limited piped water
Open defecation
Water in HICs
Availability of technological solutions
Overuse of water
High cost of water
Flushing of chemicals/detergents/plastics into the sewage system
Community actions
Community Actions
Environmental awareness education projects
Community toilet projects
Community wells or boreholes
Small scale technological solutions
Water conservation
Water recycling (eg recycling grey water, use of rainwater)
Separation of waste products
Water education
Examples of small scale/community water management
Choose three of the videos below. For each:
What are the goals of the project?
How is it community based?
What processes are involved?
How successful has it been?
LICs
HICs
Discuss: why do many people argue that community approaches to water management are more likely to be sustainable than larger scale "top down" approaches? What are the strengths and weaknesses of smaller scale, community approaches?
Exam question
Community based approaches to water management are an effective way to achieve water sustainability in areas at different levels of economic development. Discuss with reference to examples you have studied.