Improving water supply in rural communities

Efforts to improve the water supplies used by people in rural areas of developing countries have run into serious obstacles: not only are public funds not available to build facilities for all, but many newly constructed facilities have fallen into disrepair and disuse. Along with the numerous failures there are also successes in this sector. From these successes a new view has begun to emerge of what the guiding principles of rural water supply strategies should be.

1. Local people themselves, not those trying to help them, have the most important role to play. Community itself must be the primary decision-maker, the primary investor, the primary organizer, and the primary overseer.

1. Providing local water sources
2. Managing water resources for sustainable rural development
3. Involving local people in water management
4. Improving management of rural water supply
5. Developing rural communities

1. Supplementing community water sources
2. Extending agricultural water usage
3. Broadening irrigation water development

1. Expanding integrated use of rural water supply infrastructure

1. Inadequate water supply in rural communities

1. Oversupply