Multi-village water systems sustainability: the case of Chomba system in Mueda Plateau

Sustainability is one of the key challenges of rural water supply. In Sub-Saharan Africa, only two out of three water points in the continent’s rural areas are functional at any given time. Among these, the multi-village supplies offer significant opportunities for increasing the sustainability of the services, facing the challenges of coverage, management and equity. This paper studies the case of the Mueda Plateau, in Cabo Delgado, northern province of Mozambique. Six systems were reviewed, and among these one (Chomba) outstands at the only given a minimum level of service. We describe the operational status of the service, and we outline the distinctive points (technical and institutional) that made it work substantially better than others in such context. Conclusion gives the challenges ahead for Chomba system and some recommendations to improve sustainability of multi-village water services.