Water and communities

This set of three papers arises from the 1993 water policy meeting. The first, "Communities: Behaviour and Belief", views water as a resource used by communities and focuses on why people do what they do with water suggesting the economic, belief and behaviour aspects to be considered. This provides a framework for thinking about behavioural change, hygiene education and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programmes and the paper advocates a "no persuasion without provision" approach to water provision projects. It concludes that devolution of institutional responsibility to the community may be complex and difficult to monitor. The second paper, "Maintaining the Flow", describes the concept of Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) as a more cost effective community based approach to the provision of water supplies. The paper draws on experience at community, district and national level and discusses the basic structures, technology, and financing needed before VLOM can function effectively. Appendices describing maintenance problems, training, and the community based management programme in Malawi are included. The final paper, "Relief to Development", is a case study of the refugee water programme in Malawi. It argues that since relief and development initiatives in water supply need very different approaches and inputs trying to start "development" from "relief" is intrinsically problematic and to the detriment of the former. It outlines the reasons for the failure of VLOM initiatives in this refugee water programme, the poor progress in strengthening the management capacity of the Water Department, and the difficulties of partnership between NGOs and the UNHCR. The paper concludes that the UNHCR is not well equipped to operate in a "development" mode, either in the initial planning stages or in the repatriation phase.