Learning alliances for scaling-up multiple-use

services in Colombia

Inés Restrepo-TarquinoInstituto Cinara

Universidad del Valle

March 2009

RURAL WATER SYSTEMS IN COLOMBIA

Gravity feed

Enough surface water sourcesDistribution network

MUS de facto

Storage tank (+ disinfection)

Household water unit

CHALLENGES TIME 0

• Rigid sectoral normativity• Officials and Water Committees did not

recognised the poor’s needs• “Health” thinking about water systems• Small productive activities developed

by women considered “wastage” of water

• MUS considered “wastage” of money

LEARNING ALLIANCE

Research and Development actors working together around concrete situations

LEARNING PROCESS

The LA chose the agenda

Case studies Training

Meetings with decision-makers

Workshops to analyse data and built

proposals

Meetings with international experts

RESULTS• The rural WS Programme changed 20 m3/m*u in design (133 l/pcd) for 40 m3/m*u

• The Infrastructure Secretary at the Departmental level gave an award to a proposal for social housing that included the possibility of having small productive activities

• Three policy briefs were produced and disseminated

• Architecture National Award for students: social housing that allows small productive activities, the use of rain water and the possibility of reuse of grey water

• Institutions changes the way in the project cycle is developed and officials are willing to apply the MUS concept

• ACUACOL (association of CB organizations) is promoting MUS

• Students participated in the LA and the MUS concept was introduced in the university curriculum

• New Departments in Colombia are including MUS in their rural WS programmes

PROPOSALS• A technical guideline for the design of MUS systems (made with the

learning alliance)

• Proposal to re-define the “rural domestic activities” including the small productive activities (washing the car is defined as domestic use in the urban context so washing the horse is similar in the rural context!)

• The University gave us our building to have a demonstration project in the university campus (multiple uses-multiples sources)

• Designs made by under-graduate students (Industrial Design Programme) on household devises to improve the use of water

• Proposal for the project cycle that includes MUS

Thanks for your attention

Members of the Learning Alliance working in the field!