A diesel or electrically-powered pump provides a step up the technology ladder for rural households with a family well. The main reason for investing is often to irrigate crops, but the water uses and benefits are multiple.
Sand dams can provide sufficient water for domestic and productive uses even in some very dry environments. But the implementation and scaling-up challenges should not be overlooked.
This MUStRAIN case study examines whether giving communities a greater say in the design of their water supply systems leads to a different mix of uses.