Community Water, Community Management

Updated - Thursday 23 June 2005

Ton Schouten and Patrick Moriarty (2001)

Community management has become the leading concept for implementing water supply systems in rural areas in developing countries. In the early days it was seen as the answer to large scale breakdown of water supply systems and the failure of government either to provide clean water itself or to devise a system whereby other agencies would supply it reliably and consistently.

This book is based on the experience gained over twenty years of working to strengthen the capacities of rural communities to manage their own water supply systems. The day-to-day experiences of twenty two communities in six different countries - with differing geographical, socio-economic and cultural settings - are at the heart of this fascinating book. Supplemented with research findings, it shows the power and creativity with which community people work to keep their water supply systems operational, and it also shows their struggles and difficulties.

Target audience: for implementers and managers of water supply systems, and post-graduate students

Published by ITDG Publishing in collaboration with IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre