Working Paper 17. Equitable water service for multiple uses: A case from Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia.

Abstract

RiPPLE’s Equity in Growth research sub-theme sought to answer the question of how equitable access to multiple water use be stimulated and facilitated? The objective is to inform service providers and implementers on how to better plan and provide equitable water services within weredas. This is expected to contribute to integrated water management programmes that address multiple water needs in an equitable and sustainable manner, in order to contribute to sustainable growth.

Specified objectives of this sub-theme include: (a) assessing how to better match water services to multiple demands in an equitable way, by developing an info-base at Wereda level, on water resources, infrastructure and water demands for multiple uses by different users; and (b) developing a better understanding of barriers to equity and how to overcome these.

The rationale was that to ensure equitable allocation of water infrastructure, service providers need up-to-date information on available water resources, current status of water infrastructure and people’s multiple demands for water. This includes having a good understanding of livelihood assets available to people and their multiple water demands (quality, quantity, reliability, accessibility).

In order to get a better understanding on multiple water demands that different people have, case studies took place in 3 communities representing different agro-ecological zones and access to different types of water technologies, ranging from traditional (e.g. ponds, streams) to modern (e.g. drip irrigation, dams, motorised pumps). To ensure the development of a comprehensive and useful info-base, and to facilitate the systematic analysis of the information and data, the Resources, Infrastructure, Demand and Access (RIDA) Framework was used.

Citation

RiPPLE Office, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 67 pp. + 2 pp. Research Summary

Published 1 January 2010