Adopting locally appropriate WASH solutions: a case study of rock catchment systems in South Sudan

Sustainability of water infrastructures is a well-known challenge especially in post-conflict countries, where communities have been used to quick and emergency-focused aid. This article presents a case study on how sustainability can be positively influenced by opting for locally-appropriate technologies and by involving communities in its selection. Considering the abundant rainfall and the presence of rock outcrops in some parts of South Sudan, rock catchment systems are locally-appropriate solutions and good alternatives to the more common hand-pump boreholes. In Eastern Equatoria State, Caritas Switzerland successfully constructed eight rock catchment systems. The potential of using runoff water from rock outcrops to ease communities’ water situation and the cost-effectiveness and appropriateness of this technology has generated a lot of interests among communities, local government and other stakeholders, leading surrending communities with similar geological conditions to request for a similar system.