Research and Development

RWSN-supported research and development has been the backbone of the handpump revolution, contributing significantly to the development of field-proven, reliable and easy-to-maintain handpump designs. For example:
Deep set pumps like the Afridev and India Mark III can be maintained with few tools.
Alternative designs like the Rope Pump provide an affordable solution on family wells.
Direct action pumps like the Tara and Malda effect large savings in both the initial investment and the operation and maintenance cost.
The market-driven development of the low-cost Jibon deep set pump in Bangladesh is expected to facilitate the purchase of pumps by private individuals in areas where suction pumps do not work.
 
RWSN identifies specific needs for handpump improvements and initiates research and development activities through sector partners to remove design weaknesses and improve the performance of equipment, making it user-friendly, more reliable and easy for communities to operate and maintain.
RWSN also helps resolve outstanding design issues on public domain handpumps and equipment. It facilitates technical support in close collaboration with sector partners and the private sector. RWSN assists in developing monitoring systems for field testing technologies to assess the effectiveness of research and development efforts.
RWSN co-ordinates and facilitate resolution of outstanding design issues on handpumps whose designs are either in the public domain or have potential to be put in the public domain. The work involves technical support to handpump field testing projects, which have to be designed and managed by sector partners in close collaboration with the private sector.
Resources for technical assistance will be optimally utilised through collection and sharing of information, and co-ordination of efforts. The direct output of the work will help to identify weak points of the handpumps, and will generate specific design changes for improving their performance to make them user-friendly, more reliable and better adapted to O&M by communities.
RWSN identifies handpump research & development needs and solicits support from sector agencies and donors for specific R&D initiatives including software action research.
RWSN analyses field data from R&D and field-testing projects for dissemination and possible inclusion of modifications in national or international handpump standards.
RWSN assists in developing handpump-monitoring systems.