A paper presented by Wapulumuka O. Mulwafu on 21-23 January 2003, Muldersdrift, South Africa

Domestic water supplies are used not only for the traditional purposes of drinking, cooking and washing but they are also utilized for a variety of ‘non-domestic’ uses. In the Lake Chilwa Catchment area in southern Malawi, domestic water is increasingly being used for dry-season gardening, brick-making, livestock watering and small-scale business enterprises. These activities constitute an important element in the livelihoods of both rural and urban communities. Understanding the importance of multiple uses of water, in the lives of people in developing countries, has implications for how water supply systems are
developed and how water resources are managed. This paper reports on these issues from a wider research study on water resources management conducted, in southern Malawi. It is based on data collected through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations. [authors abstract]