Quality is a “wicked problem” that requires hybrid solutions India Water Week 2013 Domestic Water Quality – Issues and Mitigation (09/04/2013) oPaul Hutchings, Doctoral Researcher oAlison Parker, Academic Fellow in International Water and Sanitation oPaul Jeffrey, Professor of Water Management Cranfield Water Science Institute
Water quality – #POST2015
“One major information gap is the safety of drinking water supplies.” Progress on drinking water and sanitation report, (UNICEF & WHO 2012) India Water Week - April 2013
Water quality – Rural India
• Water quality standards enforced by systematic testing likely to dramatically reduce coverage • Indore study: 60% down to 40% (Godfrey et al. 2011)
90%
• 80 million live with geogenic quality problems (Wate 2012)
10 % IMPROVED
UNIMPROVED India Water Week - April 2013
Strategies for improving water quality
Reviewing the state-of-the-art in rural India 1.How should we define water quality problems? 2.What are the dominant models for responding to water quality problems in rural areas?
India Water Week - April 2013
Dimensions of water quality problems
Public health
Environmental
Pollution
Infrastructure
Water quality
Behaviour
Water treatment Technology
Economic
Public policy & “wicked” problems
Rittel & Webber 1973 India Water Week - April 2013
Possible public policy coping mechanisms •
Authoritative: government monopoly helps tame the problem, but promotes dependency.
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Competitive: introduce markets, but must regulate/subsidy to promote equity.
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Collaborative: encourage stakeholders to develop consensual solutions, open minded about delivery, but weary of paralysis. Developed from: Roberts, 2000
India Water Week - April 2013
Prevailing service delivery models for rural India
(Adapted from Visscher and Da Silva Wells, 2006, p.8)
India Water Week - April 2013
Hybrid approaches: Schemes often operate in the intersection of approaches
Initial conclusion… Promote hybrid solutions I.Avoid capability traps II.Sites of innovation III.Promote choice at local level IV.Retain influence at policy level Examples Professional community management Supported open well revival Community run water kiosks India Water Week - April 2013
Next stages of research
Sector analysis: Key informant interviews / lit. review An extreme case study: Community resilience in floodprone North Bihar • How can hybridity be promoted at the local level? And is it effective? • How can local “communities of practice” be integrated into wider WATSAN institutions? Thank you for listening – questions and discussion: p.t.hutchings@cranfield.ac.uk & twitter: @pthutch India Water Week - April 2013