A market-based approach to scale up sustainable rural water supply: experiences from Tanzania

In order to reach universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking Water for All (SDG 6), SMARTechs such as Manual well drilling and Rope pumps may be a good option to scale up rural water supply and reach also the small and remote communities. A recent study looked at ways to scale up the use of these technologies in Tanzania. Trained local entrepreneurs sell the product for Self-supply (private use) and communal use. For efficient scale-up, they need to be supported in all aspects of the supply chain to reach the maximum number of households and to establish a national distribution network. The best way to create demand for Self-supply is bottom-up: by means of good-working examples and close relationships, clearly showing the socio-economic advantages for the user. First results show that SMARTechs are sustainable: production by local entrepreneurs, high functionalities due to ownership and low maintenance costs.