The main objective of the project is to promote better water security for the rural water supply sector through catchment management reforms in South Africa, and watershed development programmes in India.

The project is supporting innovative approaches to promote better water management for rural water supply in these two very different contexts. In India, a major problem is competition between different users for scarce groundwater. Use of water for irrigation often compromises the amount and/ or quality of groundwater available for domestic supply in villages. Watershed development projects offer a potential entry point to improve groundwater management and protect water supply needs. However, to date such projects have largely focused on promoting irrigation, have neglected drinking water issues and in some cases may have made water supplies worse.

The research work in India has focused on four case study villages with different water supply problems in Kalyandurg, a relatively dry part of Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. In Battuvani Palli for example, although there is a relatively good water system, high fluoride levels are a severe problem. The research is working to establish mechanisms to use the better quality water for drinking and contaminated water for agriculture.

In South Africa, the project is piloting implementation in the Sand River Catchment of the novel concepts that are an integral part of recent legislation (i.e. the 1997 Water Services Act and the 1998 National Water Act). This legislation aims to secure a 'basic human needs reserve' for water supply. This concept seeks to ensure access of all to water resources for their basic needs, but it has not been implemented yet. Some key issues include how to set aside both surface and groundwater resources - groundwater is often more important for rural water supply - and how to account for losses between aquifers or dams and the tap.

Through case studies, research in both countries is being based upon an improved understanding of the links between resource availability, water services delivery and livelihoods in the study areas.

See the reports area on project web-site at http://www.nri.org/whirl to download working papers where emerging findings are reported.

For an up-to-date list of publications and to download working papers, copies of published papers and reports see the project web-site at http://www.nri.org/whirl

A number of related initiatives have developed from the studies to date. Working with the Community Media Trust - a women's grassroots video team from Andhra Pradesh, India - the project team are documenting the impacts of water insecurity on the rural poor, and the patterns of responses by government and other agencies. Lessons from the research provide options for future interventions.

In the Palar River basin that includes parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India, the Campaign for the Protection of Water Resources are working to address resource conflicts through the establishment of new institutions that represent all stakeholders including the poor and marginalized. Major issues include sand mining for construction in Chennai, overexploitation of surface and groundwater, and pollution from textile industries. Here, the project team are supporting NGOs to document their findings.

And to address the current lack of 'joined-up' approaches to water supply for the multiple needs of poor people, NRI are organising an international symposium on 'water, poverty, and productive uses of water at the household level' with IRC International Water and Sanitation Center, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. This will be held in South Africa from 21-23 January 2003. See http://www.irc.nl/themes/management/prodwat/index.html for more details.

• Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD), South Africa
• Accion Fraterna, India
• BAIF Development Research Foundation, India
• Dr AJ James, India
• IRC International Water and Sanitation Center
• Water Resources Management Ltd
• Centre for Water Policy and Development, University of Leeds
• Natural Resources Institute (NRI)
  

J. A. Butterworth
Natural Resources Institute
University of Greenwich at Medway
Central Avenue
Chatham Maritime
Kent, ME4 4TB
United Kingdom

Telephone +44 (0)1634 880088
Fax +44 (0)1634 880066/77

J.A.Butterworth@greenwich.ac.uk