Case studies of data collection and decision-making for small low-income community water supply in Nepal

This project seeks to develop decision making tools to aid practitioners in Nepal to select appropriate improved water supply measures, using selected small low income communities as case studies. These include three rural communities (Bhalakhalak, Sonbarshi, Chamar Tolia) and a periurban squatter community near Kathmandu (Manohara). Household data was collected via questionnaires and site visits to assess the current practices and inform decision making. Standard water quality data was also collected to characterise water sources, several of which were deemed unsuitable for safe water supply. A decision framework, in the form of a ‘Yes/No’ decision tree, was then developed which incorporated site specific technical, demographic, and socioeconomic considerations and used literature information and local experience. It is hoped that the framework can be applied to decision making in other low income communities that face similar challenges

Evaluating the viability of establishing container-based sanitation in low-income settlements

Container-based sanitation (CBS) services operate in a number of low-income urban settlements across the globe, providing sanitation services where other on-site and off-site sanitation systems face logistical and environmental restrictions. The viability of each CBS service is influenced by a number of location specific factors. Drawing on an initial review of existing CBS services, this paper identifies and evaluates these factors in relation to establishing CBS in a new service location. By applying a weighted scoring matrix to these factors, the potential viability of CBS services has been assessed for urban informal settlements in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The viability of CBS services in these settlements was found to be most influenced by the current availability of basic sanitation facilities, the unfamiliarity with paying for sanitation services and the universally adopted practice of anal cleansing with water. The process and scoring matrix developed and subsequently applied in Nepal, are recommended as part of the pre-feasibility stage assessment where a CBS service is being considered as a sanitation option in new locations

Community participation in rural water supply - India initiative

Community participation in rural water supply - India initiativ