Improving household water supply (Self Supply) - The Potential in Mali

This document is based on the study undertaken by WaterAid and the Ministry of Health in June 2005 (funded by RWSN/ WSP-World Bank) as well as on national statistics and policy documents. It provides background information on the situation to date. It proposes ways to merge communal and household level strategies to reach the MDGs and to create an environment in which rural people can maximise their opportunities for access to and choice of improved water supply.

Most of the ways of improving supplies, ranging from source up-grading to source and household water treatment, and rainwater harvesting, have been practiced in Mali already. However such initiative has been mainly related to government and NGO programmes for diarrhoeal disease prevention and rural water supply expansion. The initial moves have tended to come from outside the community, and much of the up-grading has been either to existing communal supplies, or to isolated perennial private supplies where reliable sources are scarce. Investments have been heavy, using technology options and strategies beyond the means of private individuals, and the resulting supplies have become communal, since government policy does not embrace the idea of investment in private assets.

The aim now is to see how the enormous amount of private investment to date could be built upon, and whether this could be done in ways which encourage self financing, usually retaining private ownership, re-invigorating rural economy and strengthening small enterprises in the sector. This aim is being supported by UNICEF Self Supply Initiative and WaterAid working in conjunction with government and RWSN to develop complementary communal and household water supply improvements.