Comparative performance of rural water supplies during drought

D. J. MacAllister (), A. M. MacDonald, S. Kebede, S. Godfrey and R. Calow
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D. J. MacAllister: British Geological Survey, The Lyell Centre
A. M. MacDonald: British Geological Survey, The Lyell Centre
S. Kebede: School of Agricultural Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal
S. Godfrey: UNICEF Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
R. Calow: Overseas Development Institute

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract As rural African communities experience more frequent and extreme droughts, it is increasingly important that water supplies are climate resilient. Using a unique temporal dataset we explore rural water supply (n = 5196) performance during the 2015–16 drought in Ethiopia. Mean functionality ranged from 60% for motorised boreholes to 75% for hand-pumped boreholes. Real-time monitoring and responsive operation and maintenance led to rapid increases in functionality of hand-pumped and, to a lesser extent, motorised boreholes. Increased demand was placed on motorised boreholes in lowland areas as springs, hand-dug-wells and open sources failed. Most users travelled >1 h to access motorised boreholes but 30 m) groundwater performed best during the drought. Prioritising access to groundwater via multiple improved sources and a portfolio of technologies, such as hand-pumped and motorised boreholes, supported by responsive and proactive operation and maintenance, increases rural water supply resilience.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14839-3

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