This PEER Science project considers Andean headwaters, particularly páramos and puna wetlands, as socialecological systems (SESs) in which coupled natural and human processes like drought, flooding, water use and impoundment in reservoirs for irrigation, and mining act together to destabilize and threaten water availability and quality for human and ecosystem purposes.
The purpose of the “SERVIR Amazonia” Activity is to reduce negative impacts of large-scale infrastructure, extractives activities, and climate change on Amazon forests and waters through increased use of geospatial information for improved planning and decision-making.
In the village of Sabotsy Anjiro in Madagascar, a simple water tap installed outside Voahangy Rasoanantenaina’s door has changed her life.
“Before the fountain, I had to get water from the public pump, a half-hour walk away,” said Voahangy, who has four children. “Having to do that twice a day meant that I lost two hours trying to access water and carry it home.”
“Now, the fountain is right in front of my home, and I can get as much water as I need, whenever I need it,” she said.
USAID recognizes that strong local systems are needed to maintain functional water and sanitation services and that daunting challenges are associated with sustaining these services over time. The Sustainable WASH Systems (SWS) Learning Partnership was developed through a co-creation process and demonstrates the power of collaborative, iterative design.
This impact assessment is the result of a qualitative review of the impact of the Tanzania Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (iWASH) Program based on a selection of case studies collected in two of the recipient villages. It forms part of the documentation initiative of the iWASH Program.
In Kitui County, Kenya, an information gap exists on water coverage and quality of water service delivery for a large segment of the county population. To fill this gap, the Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (SWS) supported the University of Oxford to undertake a water audit in seven sub-counties from November to December 2017. The water audit located major rural water infrastructure and collected information on installation and operational performance to inform county planning, investment, institutional development, and dialogue on sustainability.
This photo essay from tells the story of the village of Kok-Jar in the Kyrgyz Republic, and how it came together to find a way to finance, maintain, and manage its municipal water system.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working with Haiti’s National Potable Water and Sanitation Directorate (DINEPA in French) to improve drinking water quality in Haiti's rural areas. This work, which began after the start of the cholera outbreak in Haiti in 2010 and continued through 2018, is aligned with the Global Water Strategy Strategic Objective 1: to increase sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, as well as Strategic Objective 4: to strengthen water sector governance and institutions.
As part of the Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (SWS), Whave Solutions Ltd. undertook a network analysis of the actors involved in rural water service delivery in Kamuli District, Uganda in April 2018. This study set out to understand the structure of the network of actors involved in water service delivery; to identify the factors that influence services and how they relate to specific actors; and to contribute to the understanding of how to study, analyze, and strategically act to influence water service delivery systems.
