More MDGs per drop

A ‘multiple-use water services’ approach can unleash massive productive capacity in households and communities. This is what Barbara van Koppen wrote on MUS in an article in Capacity.org nr 36.

Everywhere, people use systems designed for a single use – as either a ‘domestic’ system or a ‘productive’ system – for multiple purposes. Cattle drink from irrigation canals and people bathe in irrigation water. Water from domestic pipes is used for homestead cultivation, livestock watering and small-scale enterprises. These uses provide vital livelihood benefits. However, they may damage canals or deprive users of the same piped system of their basic domestic needs.

The distinction made between ‘domestic’ and ‘irrigation’ water does not fully match the reality on the ground. Taking into account these realities has various advantages. Planning for how people actually use water can help prevent damage and deregulation to systems. Building on people’s own needs and practices increases the likelihood that systems will become more sustainable. Last but not least, livelihood benefits of investments in water services are higher. Multiple-use water services not only contribute to achieving access to safe water for domestic uses and sanitation, but directly and indirectly contribute to all the MDGs, provided they are well targeted at the poor. This provides ‘more MDGs per drop’.

It does not take much to understand multiple-use water services and consider all uses from a livelihoods perspective. According to Johny Hernández of Honduras’ national water utility Sanaa, ’multiple-use service is all about changing perspectives. Once you would see someone irrigating tomatoes and you would think he is wasting water. Now you would say he is making a good and economic use of water’.

Go to the Capacity.org website to read the whole article