Contending with Water Shortages in the Pacific: Performance of Private Rainwater Tanks versus Communal Rainwater Tanks in Rural Vanuatu

Foster, T; Rand, E; Kotra, KK; Sami, E; Willetts, J

Contending with Water Shortages in the Pacific: Performance of Private Rainwater Tanks versus Communal Rainwater Tanks in Rural Vanuatu

Foster, T

Rand, E Kotra, KK Sami, E Willetts, J

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Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Water Resources Research, 2021, 57, (11), pp. 1-13
Issue Date:: 2021-10-06

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Foster, T https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1738-3450
dc.contributor.author	Rand, E
dc.contributor.author	Kotra, KK
dc.contributor.author	Sami, E
dc.contributor.author	Willetts, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3975-9642
dc.date.accessioned	2022-03-16T06:01:47Z
dc.date.available	2022-03-16T06:01:47Z
dc.date.issued	2021-10-06
dc.identifier.citation	Water Resources Research, 2021, 57, (11), pp. 1-13
dc.identifier.issn	0043-1397
dc.identifier.issn	1944-7973
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155260
dc.description.abstract	Around 2 million people in the Pacific depend on rainwater collection for their drinking water, however these systems often struggle to provide sufficient quantities of water year round. This study examined the performance of 1,878 rainwater tanks across 19 islands in Vanuatu to assess whether the likelihood of a sufficient year-round supply of drinking water differed between village-level rainwater tanks used communally and private rainwater tanks owned by individual households (i.e., self-supply). More than half of the tanks assessed failed to provide a sufficient supply of water year round. Compared with communal rainwater tanks, private rainwater tanks had significantly higher odds of a sufficient year-round supply of water (adjusted odds ratio 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.24–2.09, p < 0.001). This relationship was evident when adjusting for village-level clustering, year of installation, presence of other improved water sources, tank volume, number of users, and a proxy indicator for rainfall. Private rainwater tanks outperformed communal rainwater tanks irrespective of whether communal tanks were managed by a community-based committee. The findings support the notion that in some circumstances private property rights can help avert resource depletion, and that household self-supply is capable of delivering a more reliable water supply than community-based management. However, the study design was unable to rule out differences in roof catchment area as a factor influencing the results. Further work is needed to confirm and elucidate the mechanisms by which private ownership facilitates a year-round supply and understand the wider advantages and disadvantages of self-supply.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	American Geophysical Union (AGU)
dc.relation	GHD Pty Ltd
dc.relation.ispartof	Water Resources Research
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1029/2021wr030350
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience, 0905 Civil Engineering, 0907 Environmental Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Engineering
dc.title	Contending with Water Shortages in the Pacific: Performance of Private Rainwater Tanks versus Communal Rainwater Tanks in Rural Vanuatu
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	57
utslib.for	0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	0907 Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ISF - Institute for Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2022-03-16T06:01:45Z
pubs.issue	11
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	57
utslib.citation.issue	11

Abstract:

Around 2 million people in the Pacific depend on rainwater collection for their drinking water, however these systems often struggle to provide sufficient quantities of water year round. This study examined the performance of 1,878 rainwater tanks across 19 islands in Vanuatu to assess whether the likelihood of a sufficient year-round supply of drinking water differed between village-level rainwater tanks used communally and private rainwater tanks owned by individual households (i.e., self-supply). More than half of the tanks assessed failed to provide a sufficient supply of water year round. Compared with communal rainwater tanks, private rainwater tanks had significantly higher odds of a sufficient year-round supply of water (adjusted odds ratio 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.24–2.09, p < 0.001). This relationship was evident when adjusting for village-level clustering, year of installation, presence of other improved water sources, tank volume, number of users, and a proxy indicator for rainfall. Private rainwater tanks outperformed communal rainwater tanks irrespective of whether communal tanks were managed by a community-based committee. The findings support the notion that in some circumstances private property rights can help avert resource depletion, and that household self-supply is capable of delivering a more reliable water supply than community-based management. However, the study design was unable to rule out differences in roof catchment area as a factor influencing the results. Further work is needed to confirm and elucidate the mechanisms by which private ownership facilitates a year-round supply and understand the wider advantages and disadvantages of self-supply.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155260