Making universal access to water affordable in Zambia and Zimbabwe

As per capita costs of rural water supply escalate, and donor funding cannot keep pace, it will be necessary to look at alternative solutions to achieve universal access in sub-Saharan Africa. Leveraging funds from new sources and minimising costs to government may help to avoid a slow-down in progress to 2030. Results from UNICEF-funded reviews of Accelerated Self-supply in Zambia and Zimbabwe suggest Self-supply is an essential strategy to achieve universal access, especially in remote areas with low population density where many of the remaining unserved reside. Government must adopt complementary or hybrid strategies, incorporating Community Water Supply and Self-supply, if the SDG target of universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water is to be met. Including self-financing in rural water supply strategies will require development of new affordable standards for smaller communities, but could save the two governments almost $400,000,000, cutting the necessary budget by 35-40%.