Self-supply, where households or small groups of households take the lead in the development and improvement of their own water supplies is now a recognised approach to realising universal access to safe water in Ethiopia.These guidelines support planning and implementation of activities to enhance and accelerate self-supply at regional, zonal and woreda levels.
When families invest their own time and money in securing their water supply we should sit up and take notice. Nothing is more demand-driven than what people choose to do for themselves. Self-supply happens when people dig their own wells or construct water harvesting systems at household level or in small groups. These self-motivated efforts can make a huge contribution to the availability of water for households and their neighbours. It brings the convenience of a household supply at low cost; and increases the likelihood of a sustainable service because Self-supply means commitment as well as investment.
For self-supply to happen at a larger scale and faster pace, promotion and encouragement is needed. Moreover, households may need support and technical advice to make sure that the systems they develop are adequate.This tool provides guidance on how to accelerate self-supply efforts.
These guidelines will support you to develop a Self-supply acceleration plan for your woreda, zone or region.
The guidelines consist of an introduction to Self-supply, followed by eight parts that will support you to develop your Self-supply acceleration plan:
