Video Conference - How Household Investment in Rural Water Supply can make a difference?

A total of 31 participants from nine countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia/Netherlands, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom and Zambia) took part in the 2½ hour seminar which enabled an exchange of experience and perspectives on ground realities and initiatives taking place with respect to traditional and household improved water supplies at household level in South Asia, South-East Asia and Africa. All participants had something to share and to something to learn from the seminar. Recurrent themes in the discussion were: the role of Government, productive use and economic use of water, subsidies, equity, micro-credit, training of masons and other private enterprises, water quality and the attitude of the professional to self provided, and incrementally improved water sources. In drawing to a conclusion, perhaps the final, and most pertinent issue raised during the seminar is how should Government, an NGO or another organisation best plan and implement projects and programmes that encourage households to invest in improving their own water supplies? If it is indeed recognised that household investment has a role to play alongside conventional approaches, how can this best be encouraged, given the social, economic, institutional and environmental context of the particular country or region? Clearly more documentation, dialogue and exchange on this pertinent issue are still required. To read more about the discussions,click here.