The illusion of community ownership: community-based water management in Uchira, Kilimanjaro region

Water resource managementSocial participationWater users’ associationsWater policyWater shortagePricingWater costsWater supplyLabor

The illusion of community ownership: community-based water management in Uchira, Kilimanjaro region

Water resource managementWater governanceSocial participationWater users’ associationsWater policyWater shortagePricingWater costsWater supplyLabor

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Chilling Method in Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflicts in Western Serengeti, Tanzania

This paper reveals the less known effectiveness of Chilling method in mitigating human elephant conflicts carried out in Western Serengeti, Tanzania. Two villages were involved namely Nyamburi and Bonchugu. Data were collected by using household questionnaire, focus group discussion and archive information. Data were analyzed by use of SPSS (Version 18) software.Field results indicates that; Chilling method is effective (83%)in mitigating human elephant conflicts. However, statistics for crop damaged by elephants before and after introduction of the method shows that the crops damage decreased by 25%. The most observable strengths of the method were; it control HEC without harm people and elephants, it is easy to apply (55%), it does not consume time and use appropriate technology. Despite the effectiveness of the method, major weaknesses observed to face the method were; insufficient used oil and pepper (61%), elephants observed to be a clever animal as sometimes they inter into the farms backwards and also during rain seasons, chill method observed to be ineffective as it can be washed/removed easily. However, the respondents recommended that; the challenges can be solved by local community to cultivate pepper and other stakeholders such as district, different NGO and companies to support farmers the provision of used oil, chill should be applied regularly once washed out by rain and for the effectiveness of the method community should be more trained on how to use the method

Entrepreneurs, investors and the state: the public and the private in Sub-Saharan African irrigation development

This article draws on ethnographic research in Tanzania to interrogate the discourse of ‘public’ and ‘private’ in sub-Saharan irrigation development. It contrasts the complexity of social and political relations with narratives suggesting that ‘private’ is necessarily opposed and superior to ‘public’. We argue that support for models of private-sector development obscures access to and control over resources and can result in the dispossession of those least able to resist this. Different interests of ‘entrepreneurial’ individuals and corporate investors and the ways in which these relate to the state are also glossed over. Conversely, the failure of the ‘public’ cannot simply be read from the chequered histories of irrigation schemes within which public and private interests intersect in complex ways

Defining and acting on water poverty in England and Wales

Water poverty is the lived condition households experience when they are struggling, or unable, to afford their water bills. Despite a relatively low public profile, it affected approximately 20% of households in England and Wales in 2020. Currently, as many as 34% of bill payers report struggling to pay fairly frequently. This comprehensive review examines definitions, prevalence and manifestations of water poverty through an analysis of 354 grey and academic documents, dating between 1985 and 2022. Synthesising the literature revealed how water poverty is a structurally-produced problem, reflecting trends in sector governance and wider societal processes. In the 1980s and 1990s, water poverty was characterised by household disconnections, as defaulting customers were considered a drain on the financial health of newly privatised utilities. Owing to civil society opposition, by 2000 water poverty became a technocratic problem of affordability and debt. Despite certain legal protections for vulnerable households, structural drivers of water poverty were unresolved and rates continued to rise, peaking in 2013/2014. Contemporary discourse emphasises extending availability, accessibility and flexibility of support, but structural inequalities remain hidden. It is, therefore, highly questionable whether the water sector in England and Wales can fulfil its commitment to ending water poverty by 2030

Watershed science: Coupling hydrological science and water resources management

While there have been advancements in hydrological science and water resources management, the world continues to face a water-supply crisis. In light of studies that report the missing links to be (i) effective collaborations between researchers and practitioners and (ii) interdisciplinary working, we promote the benefits of Watershed Science to address these gaps. Watershed Science incorporates basin hydrology, determines water resource thresholds, promotes water governance that forms partnerships between institutions, and enacts participatory decision making in water resources management. However, such partnerships must recognize the differential power and interests of different actors to ensure that outcomes are not skewed in favour of particular interests. It adds value to existing water management programs and has great potential for bringing disciplines and decision making together to address the global water crisis

Infrastructural Violence: Five Axes of Inequities in Water Supply in Delhi, India

Inequity is deeply embedded in the supply of drinking water in Delhi, India. Using the concept of infrastructural violence, this paper exposes how past and present governance of water has resulted in unequal distribution of supply across the city to exclude vulnerable communities from accessing drinking water. This perspective broadens the gaze away from a narrow gaze on the technical and structural aspects of infrastructure to encompass the socio-political dimensions. This paper starts by outlining the history of the water supply in Delhi. We then outline five axes of exclusion which can be read as infrastructural violence and explores how aspects of water policy, legislation, and planning uphold these injustices. Our discussion centers on how economics, political ideology, and power infiltrate governing mechanisms to influence water infrastructure to entrench poverty and marginalization. Attempts to improve water security for Delhi's residents face minimal impact without addressing these embedded inequities. Therefore, our analysis offers a framework to systematically create awareness of the factors to be addressed to enable a more equitable governance of water supply

Climate Change Impacts on Urban Sanitation: A Systematic Review and Failure Mode Analysis

Climate change will stress urban sanitation systems. Although urban sanitation uses various infrastructure types and service systems, current research appears skewed toward a small subset of cases. We conducted a systematic literature review to critically appraise the evidence for climate change impacts on all urban sanitation system types. We included road-based transport networks, an essential part of fecal sludge management systems. We combined the evidence on climate change impacts with the existing knowledge about modes of urban sanitation failures. We found a predominance of studies that assess climate impacts on centralized sewerage in high-income contexts. The implications of climate change for urban nonsewered and complex, fragmented, and (partially) decentralized sanitation systems remain under-researched. In addition, the understanding of the impacts of climate change on urban sanitation systems fails to take a comprehensive citywide perspective considering interdependencies with other sectors and combinations of climate effects. We conclude that the evidence for climate change impacts on urban sanitation systems is weak. To date, research neither adequately represents the variety of urban sanitation infrastructure and service systems nor reflects the operational and management challenges of already stressed systems