This is our contribution to Stockholm World Water Week. The session was about Self-supply and water security for all so allow me to I start with a statement.
Can we provide 50% of the SDG6 target group with family owned water supply;
without spending more than communal supply,
but with clear ownership and water for domestic and productive use?
Let me explain how we do this in Zambia.
Here 49% of rural people don’t have access to an improved water source, they are all a part of target group of SDG 6.
We install affordable pumps on hand drilled boreholes at family level at a cost of 750 to 1250 US$. We subsidize a part of that cost with the condition that families generate income with the pump.
In 4 years:
- We created local capacity and setup local supply chains.
- Each family owned pump shares water on average with 50 neighboring people for free, reaching a total of more than 64000 people already.
- Because families make an income with the pump and ownership is not an issue, pumps are well maintained and keep working.
- The subsidy is 15 to 25 US$ / person, similar to communal water supply.
- Subsidized pumps create a market for full self-supply, 30% of all pumps are now fully paid by families without the need for subsidies.