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MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development

global challenges, engineering solutions
 

Sustainability of water services: A review of international development programme approaches to rural water access in Nepal

Sustainability has long been the Achilles heel of international development programmes seeking to improve rural access to safe water. Enshrined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, definitions of sustainability are still emerging and, 3 years in to the global effort to deliver the SDGs, it is not clear that approaches to providing access to water live up to their ambition. This study seeks to understand the extent of sustainability in contemporary approaches, proposing and applying a framework to review a case study of 4 UK funded development programmes in Nepal. Results indicate that none of the sample programmes are providing sustainable water services, but good practice was observed on which more sustainable approaches can be built. Recommendations are made for the programmes and the sector. Achieving sustainability requires interventions to shift their main focus from the construction of assets to what happens after, where access is maintained and improved by a combination of institutions and support – particularly as the sector’s emphasis shifts to maintaining universal access.

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Course Overview

Context

The need to engage in better problem definition through careful dialogue with all stakeholder groups and a proper recognition of context.

Perspectives

An ability to work with specialists from other disciplines and professional groups acknowledging that technical innovation and business skills also must be understood, nurtured and combined as precursors to the successful implementation of sustainable solutions.

Change

An understanding of mechanisms for managing change in organisations so future engineers are equipped to play a leadership role.

Tools

An awareness of a range of assessment frameworks, sustainability metrics and methodologies such as Life Cycle Analysis, Systems Dynamics, Multi-Criteria Decision making and Impact Assessment.