Page 141 - Prathima Volume 12

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CBO managed water supply projects in mitigating rural water
deficiency in the selected coastal villages of Akkaraipattu region,
Sri Lanka

M. Riswan (email: mriswan2008@gmail.com)

Abstract

The inadequacy of safe drinking water is a serious problem and it has major impacts on
rural communities. Thus, this study has been done based on the data collection through
surveys, interview, focus group discussion, and consultation of CBO managed water
supply report at National Water Supply and Drainages Board, Akkaraipattu region.
Using the secondary information, this paper demonstrates the implementation and
progress of community water supply scheme in the rural segments of study area with
the support of Community-Based Organizations, and it explores community water
projects or Rural Water Supply – RWS, which was implemented by the NWSDB in the
selected villages in the study community. This study found that the CBO managed
water facilities in terms of community water supply scheme was feasible system for
reducing water poverty from village segments. Further, it reveals that the participation
of local people was very poor in the CBO managed water projects due to the lack of
technical knowledge and co-ordination as well as other social, economic,
psychological and cultural factors that have contributed on their lower participation in
this effort. However, the CBOs need to be motivated and empowered to amalgamate
rural people to ensure the sustainability of the community water project in order to
eradicate water crisis from rural communities especially from study villages in
Akkaraipattu region. Hence, this study is a crucial attempt to find a communal
calamity which is nationally and globally challengeable threat for human security. So,
this study needs to be extended in a wider academic platform in the future field
research.

Keywords: CBOs, Community Water Project, Public Participation, Water Deficiency

1. Introduction

Water is a fundamental human need and it is basic requirement of human life. Water
deficiency has been defined as “state of insufficient water to satisfy normal
requirements” (Fenwick, 2010). Safe drinking water is essential to health, survival and
development. The Sri Lankan government has set ambitious targets to provide access
to safe drinking water and basic sanitation facilities to 85% of the population by 2015
and 100% by 2025 in line with Millennium Development Goals (Ediriweera, 2005).
One of the major challenge posed in achieving this target is the huge backlog of rural
people who are still unserved with safe drinking water and basic sanitation due to the
existing water poverty in rural areas of Sri Lanka.

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