Linking Water Supply and Water Resource Management at Community Level

Local communities in rural areas are becoming more involved in the management of water resources, besides the sole management of their water supply. Community management of water resources involves not only water resources protection and adequate waste water and solid waste disposal, but also engaging in a dialogue between water users within a community or between neighbouring communities in order to avoid wastage and overexploitation of the resource. In an urban setting the water resource management issue is not as clear as in rural areas, but it still can be approached at the user level through the perception and usage that people have of water or water culture. More awareness and consciousness-raising on the value of water can have an impact on water resource use. On the utility side, leakage control is a vital issue (sometimes, up to 40-50 percent water is lost). When dealing with community management of water supply, water resources management needs to be tackled as well. Contact Francois Brikke or see WSP (Water and Sanitation Program) newsletter for further information.