MUS symposium blog: a sneak preview

The symposium: Multiple-Use Services (MUS); from Practice to Policy is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In this first blog posting we'll take a sneak preview of what participants can expect.

Focus

The focus of the symposium is to move from practice to policy. In order to do so, the symposium has two main components: presentation of over 20 papers reporting on practical experiences and field research findings on MUS, and working groups and discussions to formulate implications for policy and programme. In addition, there are some special types of sessions, such as a demonstration of technologies used for MUS, and a meeting of the MUS Group. In this way, it is hoped to have a nicely interactive event, which mixes presentations, demonstrations and discussions.

Experiences

Reviewing the experiences to be presented, one can see that a lot of progress has been made in the last 5 years both conceptualising the MUS approach, and in gaining understanding of how this approach can be put into practice. Above all, there is a recognition that multiple-use of water is happening, and that this is an area of work which merits further attention. This is shown quite compellingly, for example, in a paper from Honduras. This paper recognises that most rural water supply systems in Honduras are used de facto for small-scale productive uses, alongside domestic uses. However, the extent to which this happens differs between different wealth categories and user groups. It concludes that these productive uses can be relatively easily accommodated up to a certain level in the management of rural water supply services, and supported through Honduras' "sustainability support programme". Also in the irrigation sector there is an increased recognition of the fact that multiple use is common practice. A paper by Daniel Renault (FAO) shows how in large irrigation schemes, which have a more service-oriented management, management tries to meet water needs for multiple purposes.

Main elements for a policy

Recognizing practice is one thing; defining implications for policy makers and water programme managers is another. For example, how can systems be designed in such a way that different water demands are met but in an equitable way? Should all water supply systems be developed to accommodate multiple uses of water? And if so, how much water should be allocated for that? The symposium will try to identify key elements that make up a multiple-use approach. For example, cases from Plan International in Ghana and Sri Lanka highlight different programmatic approaches that they have used. The demonstration of technologies will identify technologies that can be applied in MUS programmes.

Most importantly, multiple-use will require changes in the way institutions work, and move out of their sectoral boundaries. This is no simple feat, and transaction costs may be high. But, it is not impossible, as a case from Nepal shows. There, a learning alliance was established bringing together key stakeholders from the different sectors. This alliance has been able to link practical experiences on the ground, to learning at sectoral level for scaling up. This is reflected by a strong presence of participants from Nepal at the symposium, all from different agencies involved around a big rural drinking water supply programme. This makes Nepal one of the countries where scaling-up of MUS approaches can be expected.

Ethiopia: host country for the symposium

Last but not least, Ethiopia, as host country of the symposium, will be well represented. Various cases from Ethiopia will be presented from current research and practical experiences with MUS, particularly highlighting the benefits and costs of the approach. There will also be a specific discussion on how to take the MUS approach forward in Ethiopia. With good participation from a range of institutions within the Ethiopian water sector, this surely should lead to a good momentum to move from practice to policy in Ethiopia.

Background paper

The background paper for the symposium is available online from the MUS website