New research commissioned on productive use of domestic water for livelihoods in South Africa

The fact that people use piped water supply systems for productive purposes has been acknowledged by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) in South Africa. Their Strategic Framework for Water Services, the main sector policy document, states that water should be made available for economic uses. DWAF is now in the process of completing guidelines on how the provision of water for such small-scale multiple uses can be realized (see Newsletter 3, December 2005). During the development of these guidelines, a number of gaps in knowledge have been identified as well as several difficulties in developing policy guidance. In response, the Water Research Commission (WRC) has commissioned a new research project on the key issues associated with the productive use of domestic water for sustainable livelihoods.

Specifically, it will:

• Examine international and local best practices in terms of using piped water for productive uses and given local policy and legislative requirements
• Investigate the types, level and quantity of productive uses, and identify challenges, opportunities and constraints
• Determine the sustainability of the different technical options including the management and institutional requirements of each
• Determine the cost implications for households and the best cost recovery mechanisms to ensure sustainability
• Develop a guideline for productive use of domestic water for sustainable livelihoods, including monitoring and regulation requirements

The research project will have a duration of two years, starting from April 2006 and will be led by Nemai Consulting.

For more information, contact Jay Bhagwan, Director Water Use and Waste Management, at the Water Research Commission