Author: RWSN Secretariat

RWSN is a global network of rural water supply professionals. Visit https://www.rural-water-supply.net/ to find out more

New Horizons: towards universal water access by 2030 // De nouveaux Horizons: vers l’accès universel à l’eau d’ici à 2030

by Ton Schouten, Chair of RWSN

Ton Schouten, Chair of RWSN
Ton Schouten, Chair of RWSN

The world has signed off on the Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 6 is the big water and sanitation goal and includes targets for water services and water resources: universal access to a safe and affordable water supply, but also targets for water quality, water use efficiency, water related eco systems and water resources.

Le monde s’est engagé sur des Objectifs de Développement Durable. L’Objectif 6 est le grand objectif pour l’eau et l’assainissement et inclue des cibles pour les services d’eau et les ressources en eau : accès universel à un approvisionnement en eau potable sûr et accessible financièrement, mais aussi des cibles sur la qualité de l’eau, l’usage efficient de l’eau, les écosystèmes reliés à l’eau et les ressources en eau.

Continue reading “New Horizons: towards universal water access by 2030 // De nouveaux Horizons: vers l’accès universel à l’eau d’ici à 2030”

The closer you are, the more sustainable it gets

by Jochen Rudolph, African Development Bank (AfDB)

Through its Rural Water and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) the African Development Bank (AfDB)  was the first donor to support the Senegalese initiative “PEPAM” (Programme Eau Potable et Assainissement du Millénaire) in 2004 and has maintained the close partnership ever since. Looking back at the PEPAM experience, we find that strong and sustained commitment to improving rural water supply and sanitation in Senegal has resulted in more facilities than were originally budgeted for being installed and, as a result, has improved the health and quality of life for a large number of beneficiary villages.

Continue reading “The closer you are, the more sustainable it gets”

RWSN Exchange

RWSN is at Stockholm World Water Week. We are at stand B9 and we have discussions and interviews with key experts going on all week. We will keep an up to date schedule here, so keep checking back here through the week.

    Wednesday 26 Aug

    • 9am “Future proofing rural water systems” with Susan Davies (Improve International)
    • 1pm “Human Right to Water handbook in the SDG era” with Virgina Roaf and Hannah Neumeyer
    • 2pm “Handpump standardisation” with Jess MacArthur, iDE
    • 3:30pm “Solar pumps and prepayment systems” with Craig Williams and Andre, Water Missions International

    Thursday 27 Aug

    • 11am “T-GroUP: Groundwater for the urban poor” with Dr Jenny Grönwall (SIWI)
    • 2pm “Reflections on household water treatment and universal water access” Maria Besteman (Basic Water Needs”

    13 ways to provide water and sanitation for nine billion people

    Summary of Live Q&A discussion on the Guardian Development Professionals Network, which included RWSN input on the expert panel.

    How can water be better managed to ensure enough supply for a growing global population? Our panel of water experts have their say.

    Continue reading “13 ways to provide water and sanitation for nine billion people”

    Zambia: Borehole Drilling Harming Ground Water

    By Charles Simengwa, Stanslous Ngosa, Moffat Chazingwa and Chusa Sichone (http://allafrica.com/stories/201506070300.html)

    THE construction sector in Zambia is at an all-time high, with buildings springing up all around the country, particularly in urban areas.

    It is a building rush cutting across commercial entities and private individuals who are investing heavily in picturesque houses.

    This is a mark of how Zambians have learnt the advantages of becoming homeowners and, consequently, securing the future of their families.

    Continue reading “Zambia: Borehole Drilling Harming Ground Water”

    Investment in rural water supply delivers results – NEW RWSN briefing note on the new JMP report

    jmp2015
    Find out how rural water supplies have changed around the world since 1990

    The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) of UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have just released a new report: 25 Year Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water – 2015 Update report and MDG Assessment

    We have pulled together a 2-side briefing note that pulls out some of the headline figures and conclusion on rural water supply. Please download it from:

    http://www.rural-water-supply.net/_ressources/documents/default/1-674-2-1435935827.pdf   (0.9 MB)

    The new figures from JMP show that most countries have achieved substantial progress towards achieving universal access to water for their citizens.

    84% of people living in rural areas now have access to a safe water source in 2015 (up from 62% in 1990)

    • “The number of people without access in rural areas has decreased by over half a billion” (1990-2015)
    • 17 Countries achieved 100% improved access (1990 – 2015) in rural areas
    • Global rural-urban disparities have decreased but large gaps remain – 8 out of ten people without access to an improved water source live in rural areas
    • Good progress in most regions but Oceania lags behind and Sub-Saharan Africa has little piped-on-premises improvement

    Find out more by downloading the briefing note – and guess which country made the biggest percentage gain in improved access for its rural population?  I almost guarantee it won’t what you expected!

    http://www.rural-water-supply.net/_ressources/documents/default/1-674-2-1435935827.pdf

    If you want to air your thoughts then join the discussion on our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=3935951

    A borehole that lasts for a lifetime

    Groundwater is a valuable resource for communities, but accessing and maximising its potential can be difficult. Vincent Casey, WaterAid’s Technical Support Manager for Water Security, introduces a series of videos demonstrating good practice in borehole drilling.

    Groundwater is a valuable resource for communities, but accessing and maximising its potential can be difficult. Vincent Casey, WaterAid’s Technical Support Manager for Water Security, introduces a series of videos demonstrating good practice in borehole drilling.

    Good practice must be followed if groundwater development programmes are to reach their full potential. If certain steps are not taken, there is a high chance that boreholes will fail, investment will be wasted and people will remain un-served.

    Vincent Casey, Technical Support Manager for Water Security

    Continue reading “A borehole that lasts for a lifetime”