How the Pure Water Project Fits into Water Management in the World
There are three levels of water management and types of projects:
- Supranational and National GOVERNANCE: UN/IGOs/NGOs/National Governments already work together on watershed management, protection and future water use planning. These bodies are gathering statistics, mapping, sharing and collaborating on:
- Water resources
- Availability/current usage
- Projected needs
- Global warming trends
- Water access, distribution and waste water treatment or INFRASTRUCTURE – these projects may be government led, business led, NGO led or Self Help Group (SHG) led
- Local governance and WATER CULTURE – local use level.
The Pure Water Project works in small villages in the developing world with local communities and Self Help Groups (SHGs) on infrastructure, education and use. It also participates in wider fora for sharing and gaining further expertise and experience.
Water development projects take shape according to the user’s location and scale. In small villages, infrastructure driven by Self Help Groups (SHGs) provides for the most autonomy and voice in water use and management. The end user is the natural starting point for discussing how to best manage what water resources are available and how to use them in a sustainable way. Depending upon the density and local environment of a settlement, issues and responses to: access, purity, security, rainwater harvesting, waste treatment, water culture, and environment will differ. Thus, by working with SHGs, it is possible to optimize watershed management and planning needs.