Objective
To help communities gain lasting access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene practice, managed locally and designed to withstand climate stress.
Practical interventions
- Boreholes, protected wells and groundwater development
- Community water supply schemes
- Solar-powered water pumping
- Drinking-water filtration and treatment
- Desalination where technically and environmentally appropriate
- Rainwater harvesting and storage
- Water distribution networks
- Water access for schools, clinics and remote settlements
- Public sanitation and toilet facilities
- Wastewater treatment and safe reuse
- Handwashing and hygiene programmes
- Water quality testing and monitoring
- Community-led water maintenance
- Watershed and water-source protection
- Climate-resilient water infrastructure
- Water-system management training
Challenges addressed
- Long walking distances to unsafe water sources, a burden that falls mainly on women and girls
- Water-borne disease that keeps children out of school and adults out of work
- Water points that break down within a few years because no one is trained or funded to maintain them
- Schools and health facilities operating without running water or adequate toilets
- Groundwater depletion, salinity and drought that make existing sources unreliable
Implementation and sustainable operation
Implementation approach
Projects begin with a hydrogeological and community needs assessment. Communities help choose the technology and agree a maintenance and tariff model before construction starts. Wherever possible, water systems are powered by solar energy and built alongside sanitation and hygiene education, so health benefits are not lost to poor hygiene practice.
Sustainable operation
Each scheme is planned with a water committee or utility operator, a transparent user-fee or service model, trained local technicians and a stock of spare parts. Remote monitoring is used where feasible so breakdowns are spotted and repaired quickly.
Who is involved and how we will measure it
Potential beneficiaries
Relevant technologies
Potential partnerships
Outcome indicators
- People with new or improved access to safe water
- Average distance or time to collect water
- Functionality rate of water points after 12 and 36 months
- Schools and clinics with water and sanitation
- Water quality test results against national standards
Sustainable Development Goals
This pillar describes AMAF's programme scope and development ambition. It does not state that every activity listed is currently operating. Verified projects are listed in the Projects Directory.
