Global Project

“Models for Implementing Multiple-Use Water Systems for Enhanced Land and Water Productivity, Rural Livelihoods and Gender Equity”

Or

“The Multiple Water Use Project”

Or

“The MUS Project”

Five lead partners

Budget over four years: $ 2.45 million

$ 1.6 million

$ 0.15 million

$ 0.7 million Matching funds lead partners

Project Outputs

1. Global and national awareness of science-based and field-tested models, guidelines and tools for multiple-use schemes.

2. Enhanced capacity to implement and study those schemes and elicit their 100-fold upscaling within five years after the project.

Location

1

2

1 Andes (Colombia & Bolivia)

2 Limpopo (Zimbabwe & South Africa)

3 Nile (Ethiopia)

3

4 Indus-Ganges (India & Nepal)

5 Mekong (Thailand)

45

De facto multiple uses of single-use

planned water systems:

Problemor

Opportunity ?

Rationale

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

1. Meeting broader water needs of women and men (health, freedom from drudgery, income from crops, livestock, fish, businesses)

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

1. Meeting broader water needs of women and men (health, freedom from drudgery, income from crops, livestock, fish, businesses)

2. Improving scheme sustainability by avoiding ‘illegal’ uses, damage, and deviation from planned allocations

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

1. Meeting broader water needs of women and men (health, freedom from drudgery, income from crops, livestock, fish, businesses)

2. Improving scheme sustainability by avoiding ‘illegal’ uses, damage, and deviation from planned allocations

3. Investing low incremental costs for high additional benefits

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

1. Meeting broader water needs of women and men (health, freedom from drudgery, income from crops, livestock, fish, businesses)

2. Improving scheme sustainability by avoiding ‘illegal’ uses, damage, and deviation from planned allocations

3. Investing low incremental costs for high additional benefits

4. Improving ability to pay for ‘domestic’ schemes

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

1. Meeting broader water needs of women and men (health, freedom from drudgery, income from crops, livestock, fish, businesses)

2. Improving scheme sustainability by avoiding ‘illegal’ uses, damage, and deviation from planned allocations

3. Investing low incremental costs for high additional benefits

4. Improving ability to pay for ‘domestic’ schemes

5. Allowing for massive upscaling

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

In sum:

A m.u.s. approach is the most effective way to use water for poverty alleviation and gender equity in rural and peri-urban

areas

Opportunities of m.u.s. approaches

Generic Methodology

New partnerships: domestic and productive water sectors; researchers and implementers

Action Research – Learning by Doing

Through ‘Learning Alliances’ at local, intermediate, national and international level

Around a research framework of 12 principles for a m.u.s. approach

Strategy

Methodology• Action research to develop tools and

methodologies

• Using a principle-based approach

Scaling up• Learning about Multiple Use water Services

(MUS) through learning alliances

• Learning about learning alliances for scaling up MUS

Project framework

Focus at 3 levels:• National – an enabling framework of policy, legislation, and resource

allocation• Intermediate – coordination and long term support mechanisms• Local – implementation and management

Principles for implementation and scaling up at each levelPrinciples provide a checklist helping to identify questions to ask, and actions to take, in each phase of action researchLeading to action results, and learning about the process

Ownership and understanding of MUS and its impacts among national level stakeholders

Coordination of planning,

implementation and financing of mus

among national level organisations

Capacity to follow a learning

approach to musamong national

level organisations

National policies, legislation, norms and

standards allow for locally appropriate

solutions and adaptive management

National water policy supports

rights-based approaches and

access of the poor to water for multiple

uses

Implementing and scaling up a sustainable, equitable and effective

MUS approach; principles at national level for an enabling

environment

National Level Ownership and understanding of MUS and its impacts among national level stakeholders

Coordination of planning,

implementation and financing of mus

among national level organisations

Capacity to follow a learning

approach to musamong national

level organisations

National policies, legislation, norms and

standards allow for locally appropriate

solutions and adaptive management

National water policy supports

rights-based approaches and

access of the poor to water for multiple

uses

Implementing and scaling up a sustainable, equitable and effective

MUS approach; principles at national level for an enabling

environment

National Level

Ownership and understanding of

MUS and its impacts among

intermediate level stakeholders

Participatory project cycles are

followed in implementation

programmes

Resources at intermediate level to implement mus

Coordination of planning,

implementation and financing among intermediate level

stakeholders

Capacity to follow a learning

approach to musamong

intermediate level organisations

Intermediate level institutions

to support communities in managing mus

Enabling environment for implementing and scaling up a

sustainable, equitable and effective MUS approach;

principles at intermediate/service provider

level

Intermediate Level

Ownership and understanding of

MUS and its impacts among

intermediate level stakeholders

Participatory project cycles are

followed in implementation

programmes

Resources at intermediate level to implement mus

Coordination of planning,

implementation and financing among intermediate level

stakeholders

Capacity to follow a learning

approach to musamong

intermediate level organisations

Intermediate level institutions

to support communities in managing mus

Enabling environment for implementing and scaling up a

sustainable, equitable and effective MUS approach;

principles at intermediate/service provider

level

Intermediate Level

Positive attitude and

understanding on MUS

Proper financial models to

ensure sustainability

Understanding of poor people’s water-based livelihoods

Understanding of available

technology options

Effective and inclusive

community institutions for managing mus

Understanding of available water resources and

services

Implementing a sustainable, equitable

and effective MUS approach - principles to

be addressed in the different phases of the

project cycle at community level

Community LevelPositive attitude

and understanding

on MUS

Proper financial models to

ensure sustainability

Understanding of poor people’s water-based livelihoods

Understanding of available

technology options

Effective and inclusive

community institutions for managing mus

Understanding of available water resources and

services

Implementing a sustainable, equitable

and effective MUS approach - principles to

be addressed in the different phases of the

project cycle at community level

Community Level

Community

National

Intermediate

Flows of information and communication

Flows of information and communication

Enabling environment at

intermediate level

Ownership and understanding of MUS and its

impact

Proper financial models

Thorough understanding of

poor people’s water-based livelihoods

Appropriate technology

Effective and inclusive

community institutions

Sustainable use of available water

resources and services

Implementing a sustainable, equitable

and effective MUS approach for improved

livelihoods- principles to be addressed in the

different phases of the project cycle at community level

Community Level

Enabli

ng e

nviro

nmen

t at

natio

nal le

vel

Ownership and understanding of

MUS and its impacts among all intermediate level

stakeholders

Participatory project cycles

followed in implementation

programmes

Resources exist among

intermediate level stakeholders to implement and upscale MUS

Coordination of planning,

implementation and financing among intermediate level

stakeholders

Capacity to follow a learning

approach to MUS among

intermediate level organisations

Intermediate level institutions

to support communities in operation and maintenance

and other support to MUS

Enabling environment for implementing and scaling up a sustainable, equitable and

effective MUS approach; principles at

intermediate/service provider level

Intermediate Level

Ownership and understanding of

MUS and its impacts among national level stakeholders

Coordination of planning,

implementation and financing of MUS

among national level organisations that

enables coordination among intermediate level stakeholders

Capacity to support a learning approach to

MUS among intermediate level

organisations

National policies, legislation, norms and

standards allow for integrated

participatory project cycles at local and

enabling intermediate level

National water policies, legislation, and implementation programs allocate

resources to enhance physical access of the poor to an equitable share of water for

multiple uses

Implementing and scaling up a sustainable, equitable

and effective MUS approach; principles at

national level for an enabling environment

National Level

National water policies and

legislation, and their enforcement

strategies, enhance legal access of the

poor to an equitable share of water for

multiple uses

Example

Principles: Enhancing the MUS approach at community level should be based on:

Assessment phase

Thorough understanding of poor people’s water-based livelihoods

Question: What are current water uses and water-based livelihoods, and which water needs for improved water-based livelihoods are still unmet?

Answer: Assessment of water use, needs, and water-based livelihoods

Tools: methodologies like SWELL -> research outcome

Product: base-line assessment of water-based livelihoods and unmet needs -> outcome for direct action

Example

Principles Reflection phase

Capacity to follow a learning approach to MUS among intermediate level organisations

Question: How have attitudes towards MUS changed among stakeholders, and why?

Answer: Joint reflection

Tools: Process documentation of the learning process and capacity – research outcome

Product: Impact assessment, lessons for improved design, implementation, and tools, and report – action outcome and research outcome

Conclusions

Need for integrated approaches to address people’s multiple water needs Approach based on innovating and scaling-up at the same timeAiming to address relevant issues at all levels: national, district and community