Improving water security for the poor

Resources

We produce a range of resources to share our knowledge about water security and poverty.
Please feel free to share and cite our publications, but give full acknowledgement to REACH.

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February 29, 2024
This study assesses heavy metal and pollution sources within the Awash River Basin, in Ethiopia. In this region, significant urbanization and industrialization have caused pollutants to enter water bodies on a large scale. After finding high levels of heavy metals across surface water sampling stations, the study advocates for increased efforts towards water security within the Addis Ababa and Awash watershed region.
2023, Ethiopia, Published Article, Water Quality
February 21, 2024
In 2021, REACH and RWSN led a global diagnostic survey to identify rural water service providers in 68 countries with interest or existing experience in results-based funding. Results suggested that up to 68 service providers in 28 countries could potentially provide results-based services to 5 million rural people. Subsequently, the Uptime Catalyst Facility has expanded results-based contracts for reliable water services serving 1.5 million rural people in 7 countries in 2022 to over 5 million people in 17 countries, including Latin America and India in 2024.
2023, Featured, Institutions, Story of Change
February 16, 2024
The REACH programme is committed to supporting career development by Early Career Researchers, half of whom are women. 60% of first authors in peer reviewed publications from the REACH programme are ECRs. ECRs play key and active roles in research dissemination and policy engagement across the REACH focus countries. ECRs transitioning to leadership roles will facilitate and sustain REACH programme impact through their policy and practice networks, and increase women's leadership in the sector.
2024, Story of Change
February 14, 2024
In sub-Saharan regions, human activities are causing stream water quality to decline. This study assesses stream water quality issues in the Awash Basin of Ethiopia, identifying key sources of land-based pollutants. Applicable models with the capability of simulating the Awash streams are presented, and recommendations towards improved use of water quality modelling for development planning by Awash Basin institutions are made.
2024, Ethiopia, Published Article, Water Quality
February 14, 2024
In-stream water quality models can help prepare effective planning strategies to tackle problems with stream water quality and understand pollutant dynamics in stream systems. In this study, water quality issues in the Awash Basin were reviewed to select an applicable in-stream model to support local model practitioners in creating improvement in water quality management. QUAL2KW and INCA models are found more applicable for the present conditions, while the WASP model may be useful to conduct detailed analysis.
2024, Ethiopia, Institutions, Published Article, Water Quality
February 14, 2024
Despite improved access to water supply systems globally, safe drinking water continues to limit progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6.1. In particular, there is a disparity between access to uncontaminated water in rural and urban areas, with the former significantly lagging behind. In this discussion paper, researchers and practitioners in rural drinking water provision, management and regulation from Bangladesh, Kenya, England and Wales identify key aspects to advance regulation for rural drinking water services.
2024, Discussion Brief, Institutions, Water Quality
February 13, 2024
Climate change and increasing severity of natural disasters have caused an increase in migration due to climate variability. However, how this relocation is negotiated, and the way risks are evaluated is still poorly understood. This study investigates these factors within the context of Lodwar in Turkana County, Kenya. This town provides useful insight into the negotiation of risk, with locals forced to weigh up both long- and short-term effects of population growth, water scarcity, flooding and more...
February 13, 2024
Droughts are one of the most complex and devastating natural disasters and high-resolution data has proven essential in helping monitor their characteristics. This study has developed four high-resolution drought records based on the standardized precipitation evaporation index (SPEI) from 1981–2022. These datasets provide greater insight into drought patterns on varying scales, with potential benefits for the development of site-specific adaptation measures.
2023, Climate Resilience, Published Article
November 30, 2023
The Awash River Basin in Ethiopia faces rising heavy metal concentrations due to poor wastewater management and loose enforcement of regulations around effluent discharge. Acute toxicity of surface and wastewater samples was measured using new molecular biosensor technology based on engineered luminescent bacteria. A multi-branch Integrated Catchment model (INCA) simulating tannery discharge under different treatment scenarios indicates that a 50% reduction in effluent concentrations could produce a 20 to 50% reduction in heavy metal concentration in the river over two years.
2023, Country, Ethiopia, Published Article, Research theme, Resource type, Water Quality, Year
November 28, 2023
The strength of the Turkana Jet - a wind feature which carries water vapour from the Indian Ocean across East Africa to Central Africa - is underestimated in current weather and climate models. New observations of the jet by researchers from the Kenya Met Department, the University of Nairobi and the University of Oxford have been used as a benchmark for UK Met Office forecasting models for East Africa.
2023, Climate Resilience, Country, Kenya, Research theme, Resource type, Story of Change, Year
November 21, 2023
Reducing barriers to sharing and making use of climate information is vital for climate resilience. In Ethiopia's Awash Basin, REACH partners have been working together to build tools to facilitate the use of climate data from weather and streamflow gauging stations. Weekly collaborative coding sessions form a long-term capacity building interaction.
2023, Climate Resilience, Country, Ethiopia, Research theme, Resource type, Story of Change, Year
November 9, 2023
1.3 million people in Coastal Bangladesh are impacted by severe waterlogging due to riverbed sedimentation. This Story of Change presents work by a research team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to characterize hydrodynamic processes and sediment transport dynamics in the area, with potential implications for different types of interventions. Recommendations include increasing freshwater flows by restoring upstream river-river and river-floodplain connectivity and reducing “repeated dredging” of the same area.
October 13, 2023
This article systematically reviews groundwater chemistry results from 160 studies from Ethiopia and Kenya to evaluate potential health risks. The results indicate that chemical contaminants occur widely in groundwaters used for drinking but not regularly monitored: 78% of studies reported exceedance of contaminants that have direct health consequences, and 81% reported exceedance of aesthetic parameters. This demonstrates that universal and equitable access to safe drinking water will not be achieved without wider implementation of groundwater treatment.
2023, Published Article, Research theme, Resource type, Water Quality, Year
October 5, 2023
Cette étude porte sur l'évolution des politiques d'approvisionnement en eau potable (AEP) en milieu rural en Afrique de l'Ouest francophone et sur les performances de la délégation des services d'eau en milieu rural. Dans de nombreux pays, il existe un fossé entre la théorie et la pratique, avec des modèles alternatifs de fourniture de services d'eau en milieu rural coexistant avec des arrangements informels, alors que les services auraient dû être délégués.
2023, Country, Institutions, Report, Research theme, Resource type, Senegal, Year
October 5, 2023
This study looks at the evolution of rural water supply policies in francophone West Africa and the performance of the delegation of rural water services. In many countries there is a gap between theory and practice, with alternative models for rural water services delivery co-existing with informal arrangements, where services should have been delegated.
2023, Burkina Faso, Country, Institutions, Report, Research theme, Resource type, Senegal, Year
September 18, 2023
In Nepal, Kenya and Bangladesh, researchers working with practitioners and local governments have established fit-for-purpose (FFP) laboratories to support reliable water quality monitoring and operational management of rural water systems
2023, Bangladesh, Country, Featured, Kenya, Nepal, Research theme, Resource type, Story of Change, Water Quality, Year
September 15, 2023
This working paper presents an approach that advances contracts for results-based funding to incentivise delivery of safe drinking water services
2023, Featured, Institutions, Report, Research theme, Resource type, Water Quality, Year
June 27, 2023
This article analyzes drinking water security in southwest coastal Bangladesh, through an in-depth field investigation. It reveals that the exponential growth of groundwater-based technologies, such as tube wells, does not necessarily indicate the actual safe drinking water coverage in coastal areas, due to complex hydrogeology with the high spatial variability of groundwater salinity risks.
2023, Bangladesh, Country, Published Article, Research theme, Resource type, Water Quality, Year
June 27, 2023
This study uses electrical conductivity, temperature and isotope analysis to characterise the recharge, flow and discharge of volcanic aquifers in upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia.
2023, Country, Ethiopia, Published Article, Research theme, Resource type, Water Quality, Year
May 26, 2023
In 2016, a results-based funding model was developed to improve the reliability of rural drinking water supply services in Kenya. The Water Services Maintenance Trust Fund (WSMTF) has tested a professional service delivery model in two counties and attracted new sources of results-based funds to guarantee water services in rural communities.
2023, Country, Institutions, Kenya, Research theme, Resource type, Story of Change, Year

‘Our partnership with REACH recognises science has a critical role in designing and delivering effective policy and improving practice on the ground.’

KELLY ANN NAYLOR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) SECTION, PROGRAMME DIVISION, UNICEF

‘Our partnership with REACH recognises science has a critical role in designing and delivering effective policy and improving practice on the ground.’

KELLY ANN NAYLOR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) SECTION, PROGRAMME DIVISION, UNICEF

‘Our partnership with REACH recognises science has a critical role in designing and delivering effective policy and improving practice on the ground.’

KELLY ANN NAYLOR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) SECTION, PROGRAMME DIVISION, UNICEF

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