Community Management of Rural Water Supply Case Studies of Success from India Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management Series

The supply of reliable and safe water is a key challenge for developing countries, particularly India. Community management has long been the declared model for rural water supply and is recognised to be critical for its implementation and success. Based on 20 detailed successful case studies from across India, this book outlines future rural water supply approaches for all lower-income countries as they start to follow India on the economic growth (and subsequent service levels) transition.

The case studies cover state-level wealth varying from US$2,600 to US$10,000 GDP per person and a mix of gravity flow, single village and multi-village groundwater and surface water schemes. The research reported covers 17 states and surveys of 2,400 households. Together, they provide a spread of cases directly relevant to policy-makers in lower-income economies planning to upgrade the quality and sustainability of rural water supply to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the context of economic growth.

Part 1: Community Management: Background, Review and Challenges 1. Research Purpose and Background 2. Community Management and Community Management Plus: The Background 3. A Systematic Review of Success Factors in the Community Management of Rural Water Supplies over the Past Thirty Years 4. Revisiting the History, Concepts and Typologies of Community Management for Rural Drinking Water Supply in India 5. Case Study Research Methodology Part 2: Community Management Case Studies of Success from India 6. Community Management in the ‘Neo-patrimonial’, Low-income States 7. Community Management in the ‘Social-democratic’, Middle-income States 8. Community Management in the ‘Developmental’, High-Income States 9. Community Management in the Mountains and Hilly Regions of India Part 3: Synthesis of Successful Community Management Arrangements in India 10. Organisational Arrangements for Successful Community Management 11. The Cost of Good Services 12. Monitoring and Regulation of Community Management 13. Aspects of Gender in Community Management 14. Discussion and Conclusions about Community Management in India and Beyond

Paul Hutchings is a lecturer in water and sanitation at the Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, UK.

Richard Franceys is a consultant and led the Community Water Plus project as senior lecturer in water and sanitation management at Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, UK.

Stef Smits is a senior programme officer at IRC in the Netherlands.

Snehalatha Mekala is the regional advisor for SPLASH, South Asia, and national research coordinator for the Community Water Plus project based in Hyderabad, India.