Dr. Donald John McAllister1, Prof. Alan MacDonald1, Rachel Bell1, Prof. Prof. Tilahun Azagegn2, Prof. Seifu Kebede3, Mr. Roger Calow4
1. British Geological Survey (BGS), UK
2. University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3. University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
4. Overseas Development Institute, UK
a) Purpose or objectives and status of study or research hypothesis
During the El Nino drought in Ethiopia in 2015 and 2016 significant effort was made to monitor and understand the performance and use of rural water points. Drawing on two recently published studies the objective of our presentation will be too demonstrate that with adequate monitoring and maintenance rural groundwater points can deliver a consistent and safe water supply during drought. Our results have implications for resilient rural water supply across East Africa and beyond.
(b) Key issue(s) or problem(s) addressed
As a result of climate change, sub-Saharan Africa is expected to experience more frequent and extreme droughts, contributing to greater water insecurity. Droughts affect the reliability, quantity and quality of water available, potentially undermining recent gains in drinking water access and making it more difficult to extend services. Few studies have directly compared the performance of rural water supply technologies accessing groundwater during drought.
(c) Methodology or approach used
We draw on the results of two studies conducted during the drought. The first monitored a total of 3188 water points (hand-pumps, motorized boreholes, springs, open-sources) and the success of a maintenance programme, every week for 12 weeks in early 2016. Enumerators used questionnaires on mobile phones to gather quantitative and qualitative data from those responsible for water points. The second study involved monitoring 48 groundwater points (hand-pumps, springs, hand-dug wells) over an 18 month period. Water sources were equipped with water level loggers and monthly water samples were collected for water quality analysis.
(d) Results and conclusions derived from the project
All sources were put under considerable strain during drought. Most demand was placed on motorised boreholes in lowland areas. Increases in functionality for motorised boreholes, as a result of the maintenance programme, lagged behind those of hand-pumped boreholes. More complex technologies have longer downtimes due to a lack of appropriate and/or accessible maintenance skills. Real time-monitoring and effective information flow helped facilitate responsive and proactive maintenance of infrastructure, and ensured demand was spread across a larger infrastructure portfolio reducing pressure on individual sources during the drought.
Water level monitoring showed that shallow boreholes equipped with handpumps recovered quickly from daily abstraction. Recovery rates of hand-dug-wells and springs was longer. All sources were contaminated during the rains marking drought cessation but boreholes were least affected.
(e) Implications of the project relevant to selected conference theme, theory and/or practice
We conclude that prioritising access to groundwater via multiple improved sources and a portfolio of technologies, such as hand-pumped and motorised boreholes, supported by responsive and proactive maintenance, increases rural water supply resilience to drought and climate change.