| Author | Oul Nak |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no.RD-07-09 |
| Subject(s) | Water-supply, Rural--Cambodia
|
| Note | A research proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in
Regional and Rural Development Planning |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The research dealt with the assessing social and benefits of the rural water supply in
Cambodia. The research was focused on the examination of sources and accessibility of the
existing rural water supply and the purpose of water use, the assessment of social and
economic benefits of the rural water supply to rural households and the identification of
problems and needs relating to the rural water supply.
The research was conducted in the two villages in Srayov commune, Kampong Thom
province, Cambodia. A household survey questionnaire was used with a total of 62
sampled households as a prime method for data collection. The research was focused on
quantitative analysis but qualitative technique was also applied.
The findings showed that all kinds of rural water supply projects supported by government,
UNICEF, NGOs and civil society after 1998 including dug wells with concrete pipe,
shallow and deep wells with a hand-pump within the study area has provided various
sources of water to rural households and they has accessed to those sources. The sampled
households used the water from those sources mainly for domestic consumption but it
showed the increasing trend to use the water for agricultural purposes as well.
The sampled households received both social and economic benefits from the use of the
rural water supply. The findings showed that they gained several types of social benefits at
a moderate level including domestic use, eater quantity and quality, treatment, health and
sanitary improvement, reducing time used in water collection and burden of women and
children in water collection. Regarding the economic benefits, they received those at a low
level including growing vegetables and raised livestock. Because of the accessibility to the
water, it helped them to earn supplementary income from the practice of those agricultural
activities and reducing the medical costs from water-borne diseases.
Key problems identified by the sampled households were poor water quality, inadequate
water in a dry season, long distance to collect water, poor repair and maintenance of the
water supply and lack of knowledge on health and sanitation, low awareness on the sense
of ownership among local water users, lack of technical and financial support from
concerned government agencies and poor coordination among those agencies.
A set of recommendations were suggested to the WSUGs and to concerned government
agencies in response to the identified problems and needs focusing on the improvement of
water quality, water adequacy, enhancing the repair and maintenance system of the
WSUGs, increasing awareness of the water users on the sense of ownership on each type
of the water supply, soliciting more technical and financial support from Provincial
Departments of Rural Development and Public Health and strengthening the coordination
of various agencies involved for government agencies, NGOs and international
organizations. |
| Year | 2007 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Rural Development, Gender and Resources (RD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Soparth Pongquan |
| Examination Committee(s) | Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed ;Kusakabe, Kyoko |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Norway |
| Degree | Research Studies Project Report (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2007 |