From our archives. Published on 01.04.2011. Dates, figures and circumstances refer to this historical account.
Building water points in Bushekeri
Climate change
The original project report describes years of extreme weather in Rwanda, including heavy rainfall and flooding, El Niño and La Niña effects, and droughts producing a rainfall shortfall of around 16%. It notes falling river flows and lake levels and springs drying up, especially in the east, southeast and parts of the central plateau. Because water affects many other sectors, integrated water management was identified as a government priority.
Social effects
Reliable access to water and household and community sanitation would improve hygiene and health. The report links these improvements to reductions in illnesses including dysentery, skin conditions and cholera, and also mentions malaria. It anticipates lower healthcare costs, improved productivity and reduced poverty.
The community-based Ubudéhé approach provides paid work for local people on straightforward projects such as protected springs and latrines, helping improve incomes.
Women and children
Bringing water points closer to homes was expected to save women and children around three hours a day spent collecting water. This would give women more time for income-generating work, particularly market gardening, and help school attendance and performance, especially for girls. The historical report cites primary-school success rates of 41% for girls and 59% for boys.
Technical considerations
Water supply can involve connecting a locality to a multi-village system with pumping, reservoirs and distribution networks sized to suit the buildings served; creating a connection from a spring at a higher elevation; or extending an existing network to the village.
Household sanitation can include a ventilated improved pit latrine or a manually flushed toilet, a washing area with a soakaway, and a handwashing facility. These are standard, low-cost systems intended to provide durable improvements in hygiene.
The planned installation
- Install a water supply.
- Capture water 750 metres from the children’s village.
- Build the connection.
- Construct a collection well.
- Equip every building with tanks, with at least eight needed.