Self-Supply Potential in Kasungu District Context Report March 2015 Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... vi 1. Project context. ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the project. .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 National coverage in Malawi. ....................................................................................................... 1 1.3 National Policies and definitions. .................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Introduction to Kasungu District. .................................................................................................. 3 1.5 The three selected Traditional Authority areas. ........................................................................... 5 1.6 Challenges ..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.7 Opportunities ................................................................................................................................ 8 1.8 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 8 2. Study on traditional water supplies in three T/As. ......................................................................... 9 2.1 Research hypotheses ................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Research protocol. .................................................................................................................... 9 3. Traditional wells in Kasungu- their physical characteristics. ............................................................ 12 3.1 General features ......................................................................................................................... 12 3.2 Depths to water. ......................................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Well diameter and lining ............................................................................................................. 12 3.4 Wellhead protection. ................................................................................................................. 13 3.5 Well siting.................................................................................................................................... 15 3.6 Reliability of supply. .................................................................................................................... 16 3.7 Adequacy of supply ..................................................................................................................... 16 3.8 Well maintenance and improvement ......................................................................................... 17 3.9 Problems arising for traditional wells . ...................................................................................... 18 3.10 Environmental hygiene and sanitary inspection. ...................................................................... 18 3.11 Age and trends in construction ................................................................................................ 21 3.12 Challenges ................................................................................................................................ 21 3.13 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................ 22 3.14 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 22 4. Socio-economic aspects of well-ownership and water use. ............................................................ 23 4.1 Well ownership ........................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.1 Well owners. ........................................................................................................................ 23 4.1.2 Characteristics of well owners ............................................................................................ 23 ii 4.1.3 Reasons for construction. .................................................................................................... 25 4.1.4 Relationship to sharers. ....................................................................................................... 26 4.2 Traditional well water usage ....................................................................................................... 27 4.2.1 User numbers ....................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.2 Drinking water sources. ...................................................................................................... 27 4.2.3 Other uses of traditional well water. ................................................................................... 28 4.2.4 Water collection and storage. .............................................................................................. 29 4.3 Household water treatment (HWTS) and drinking water. .......................................................... 29 4.4 Costs ............................................................................................................................................ 30 4.4.1 Costs of excavation. ............................................................................................................. 30 4.5 Benefits ...................................................................................................................................... 31 4.5.1 Impact on food security ....................................................................................................... 31 4.5.2 Change of source. ................................................................................................................ 32 4.5.3 Benefits to owners of traditional wells. .............................................................................. 32 4.6 Changes wanted .......................................................................................................................... 33 4.6.1 Well owner aspirations ........................................................................................................ 33 4.6.2 Affordability/willingness to pay .......................................................................................... 34 4.6.3 Aspirations of well-sharers. ................................................................................................. 35 4.7 Challenges ............................................................................................................................. 35 4.8 Opportunities. ....................................................................................................................... 36 4.9 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 36 5 The private and public sectors and their potential ....................................................................... 37 5.1 Entrepreneurs ............................................................................................................................ 37 5.1.1 Well diggers ......................................................................................................................... 37 5.1.2 Hand drillers. ........................................................................................................................ 39 5.1.3 Pump manufacturers. ........................................................................................................ 39 6. Stimulating demand ...................................................................................................................... 41 6.1 Aims and key elements ............................................................................................................... 41 6.2 Marketing channels..................................................................................................................... 43 6.3 Focal areas .................................................................................................................................. 43 6.4 Exchange visits/ learning by example. ........................................................................................ 44 6.5 Subsidy to market development ................................................................................................. 44 6.6 Monitoring of results .................................................................................................................. 45 7. Summary of conclusions on Self -supply Potential ....................................................................... 46 iii Executive Summary Pump Aid working with UNICEF under funding from the DFID Innovations Fund began work on a Self- Supply project for rural customers