Sri Lanka

SecureWater research conducted in two villages in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka indicated mixed results to the “demand responsive approach” adopted by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB). While access to water has improved for the majority of villagers, a number of households have not yet benefited. The introduction of piped schemes has affected patterns of water usage at household level, and access to conventional sources of water. Richer villagers benefited in terms of improved income through water-based small industries and small-scale home gardening. This group of people had access to other productive assets like land and credit. Demand for piped water is on the increase. Many of those who opted out of scheme membership during the initial project period due to various reasons have now made requests for new connections. Despite having to pay an additional premium as latecomers, there is a consistent increase in demand for piped water supply among both rich and poor households.

A recent research report highlights a number of challenges facing Community Based Organisations in responding to changing patterns of demand for water services in rural communities. These include extending services to poor households, managing changing patterns of demand for water at household level, and structuring tariffs to regulate use and ensure sustainable O&M. The existence of detailed baseline data on these case study villages provides a rare opportunity to monitor factors affecting changing patterns of demand for water in the longer term, and the ability of CBOs to respond effectively. PRODWAT is therefore supporting a follow-up case study to better understand how far community-managed schemes are able to accommodate multiple uses.

Read more at www.odi.org.uk/wpp For further information contact Rajindra de S Ariyabandu at wrsrds@sltnet.lk