Community Participation in Rural Water Supply

Abstract

The need for safe and adequate water by all human beings is well recognized. However, a close examination o-f the accessibility, adequacy and the quality of water for the people of developing countries reveals a very sad story. In 1980 it was estimated that about 70% of the people in developing countries had no reasonable access to safe and adequate water supply. This means that even today, over half of humankind lacks one of the basic requirements for life. The term "reasonable access" means that a disproportionate time of those who draw water should not be spent fetching water, and "safe water” should be free of pathogens. Having realized the plight of the rural population in developing countries, the world community through the United Nations in 1970 aimed at providing reasonably accessible and safe water to 25% of the rural population by 1980. In 1978 the UN Conference on Water emphasized the importance of safe water supply and sanitation in controlling diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, infectious hepatitis, etc. During the thirty-fifth session of the UN General Assembly in November 1980, the period 1981-1990 was declared the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (IDWSSD). All the member countries committed themselves to improving the water supply and sanitation services so that by 1990 the Decade target of water supply for all will be achieved