In pursuit of sustainable water solutions in emerging regions

While lack of access to consistent safe drinking water is estimated to affect nearly 2 billion people worldwide, many of the efforts to solve this crisis have proven to be unsustainable. This paper discusses some of the reasons for these challenges and suggests interdisciplinary practices that could...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of water, sanitation, and hygiene for development sanitation, and hygiene for development, 2013-01, Vol.3 (4), p.489-499
Main Authors: BRUNSON, Laura R, BUSENITZ, Lowell W, SABATINI, David A, SPICER, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding
Applied sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Drinking water
Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination
Environment. Living conditions
Exact sciences and technology
Governance
Integration
Markets
Medical sciences
Pollution
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Solutions
Sustainability
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:While lack of access to consistent safe drinking water is estimated to affect nearly 2 billion people worldwide, many of the efforts to solve this crisis have proven to be unsustainable. This paper discusses some of the reasons for these challenges and suggests interdisciplinary practices that could be integrated from the very beginning of a water intervention to achieve long-term success. Of key importance for sustainable water implementation is an enabling environment that incorporates aspects such as funding, potential for market development, and supportive governance. While this enabling environment is acknowledged, the focus of this work is on the integration of three key areas: (i) social and cultural assessment of behavior and preferences; (ii) market-based implementation approaches that draw on this knowledge; and (iii) technology development for these markets.
ISSN:2043-9083
2408-9362
DOI:10.2166/washdev.2013.136