Bringing to light the prevalence of self-supply water in Asia and the Pacific

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A man washes clothing by a hand pump in an outdoor rural setting in Cambodia. He is crouching with his back to the camera and soapy suds and water can be seen flowing from the concreted base. Some clothes hang on a line in the background infront of some lush vegetation.

Self-supply water in Cambodia (UTS-ISF / Tim Foster)


Self-supply is a water service delivery model where individual households or families privately own and manage their source of water. Self-supplied water is often a private household investment that is unregulated. Given the lack of understanding around the self-supply of water, the University of Technology Sydney – Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF) collaborated with UNICEF on a regional study to improve the fact base, awareness and understanding of the prevalence of self-supply of water in Asia and the Pacific and its impact for policy.


Supported by the Australian Government through a Water for Women Innovation and Impact (I&I) grant, the Self-Supply in Asia and the Pacific project investigated:

  1. The prevalence of self-supply by estimating the number of people relying on it in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific.
  2. Equity issues through characterising the wealth status of self-supplying households.
  3. Service levels by quantifying the contribution of self-supply to coverage of safely managed drinking water services.
  4. Policy aspects through an assessment of the degree to which governments formally engage with self-supply.


The study found that more than 700 million people in Asia and the Pacific self-supply their drinking water, and an additional 10 million are being added every year. Interestingly, it found that the prevalence of self-supply varies significantly within countries, is declining in some countries and increasing in others. In South Asia, self-supply water is increasing and growing at a faster rate than elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. Also, while most Pacific Island countries acknowledge self-supply in policy documents, and some have developed construction standards, few countries in the East Asia region currently recognise self-supply in policy. Policy engagement with self-supply includes strategies to provide financial support and outline technical standards.


A key learning from the project is that self-supply is common across the Asia-Pacific region, with groundwater sources common in South and East Asia, and rainwater systems most common in the Pacific. Overall, self-supply is growing, though the prevalence and trends vary greatly by country. Equity is an important consideration; however, in some countries, it is the poor households that self-supply most, while in other countries, it is the wealthy households. 


"This project has drawn much-needed attention to the issue of self-supply across the Asia-Pacific region and highlighted critical aspects relating to inequalities and implications for public finance. The workshops and outputs have catalysed critical discussions about how governments and development partners can promote or deter self-supply depending on their country situation.”

- Brooke Yamakoshi, UNICEF East Asia & Pacific Regional Office

 

 

A water tank beside a home in a rural beach setting in Vanuatu

Self-supply water in Vanuatu (UTS-ISF / Tim Foster)

Broader WASH sector contributions

This project aimed to enhance awareness and understanding of self-supply across the region and sub-regions within and beyond UNICEF and governments, and to equip UNICEF and government representatives with the knowledge and evidence to support countries in their advocacy efforts to achieve SDG6. The research findings have been shared in detail through three regional workshops – one in each context – with over 90 participants from 18 countries, including representatives from UNICEF and government partners. The workshop participants represent a highly influential stakeholder group in terms of policy and practice. Responses during the workshops indicated that a substantial amount of analysis produced 'surprising' or 'unexpected' results, reflecting the historically low levels of understanding about self-supply within the WASH sector.

One of the most surprising learnings uncovered by the project is that self-supply often delivers a better service (less contamination, more reliable) than public piped supplies, particularly in South Asia. This may have significant implications for SDG6 in many countries. This project has provided evidence and ideas on how key stakeholders can better respond to the 1-in-3 households that self-supply their drinking water.


Increased awareness and understanding of self-supply in the Asia-Pacific region gained through this project is now helping to position governments and civil society organisations to make more use of opportunities that self-supply can present; for example, by providing technical and financial support to mobilise household investment, and developing strategies to reduce risks, such as through monitoring and regulation and supporting household water treatment.


Ongoing discussions between partners and the regional UNICEF office and specific country offices is continuing to support self-supply from a policy and practice standpoint, and tangible changes to policy and practice are anticipated as a result.

Through this project, 21 country-level factsheets, three sub-regional briefs and an overarching Asia-Pacific regional brief on self-supply have also been developed and are expected to be available in late 2023.


Learning and knowledge from the project:


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