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Thrust 1: Water Services – Institutional and Management Issues
The efficient functioning of water service institutions and their viability is key to sustaining water services in rural
and urban areas. The focus of this thrust is to
address strategic research aspects related to policy
issues, institutional reform, regulation,
infrastructure management, operations and maintenance,
sanitation (stormwater, sewerage and on-site
sanitation), water-related competencies
and capacity required for strengthening water
institutions (water service providers, water service
authorities, water boards, national departments) in
providing sustainable water services.
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Programme 1: Cost recovery
in water services |
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The issue of cost-recovery has
been identified as a critical aspect affecting sustainable
services. In an environment where genuine poverty affects
cost-recovery, this program intends to develop innovative
strategies and processes to tackle the problem. The
focus will be on generating in-depth knowledge of the
problem and testing of new approaches. |
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Programme 2: Institutional
and management services - Water services |
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Relationships and partnerships
between service providers, both external and internal,
are a key to sustainable water service delivery. This
programmme's objective is to generate knowledge and
processes that would support this new form of service
delivery. Innovative management techniques are a necessity
for viable and sustainable water service provision.
This programme intends to find innovative solutions
to critical problems with the financing and management
of essential services such as water supply and sanitation. |
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Programme 3: Innovative
management arrangements - Rural water supply |
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The focus of research within
this programme is to provide support to water service
institutions with special reference to sustainable cost-recovery
and implementation of the free basic water policy; key
performance indicators for monitoring and evaluation
of service delivery; guidelines for sound management
of water service institutions and development of effective
strategies for promoting an integrated approach to rural
development. |
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Programme 4: Regulation of
water services |
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Regulation of water services is
important for the sector to achieve improved
functioning and performance of the delivery of
water and sanitation services, to the benefit of
the population. Further, it ensures greater
efficiency and improved management of the
infrastructure and customers. This programme will,
through knowledge creation,
support the development of an effective water
regulatory environment. |
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Programme 5: Impact of
water and sanitation interventions |
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The programme will address aspects
related to determining and quantifying
the sociological, economic, technical, health etc.
impacts and benefits of 10 years of water supply
and sanitation interventions in South Africa.
Over the years the government has spent billions
of
Rand
to meet the backlogs,
and substantial progress has been made. However,
very little work has been undertaken to quantify
the benefits which improved water and sanitation
has brought to the communities and the country. |
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KSA 3: Water Use and Waste Management