Productive uses of domestic water: a household-level study from Vietnam

The use of domestic water in South-East Asia and its scale, values and importance to livelihoods and poverty reduction has been identified as a key policy issue in the region. In particular, the potential for including productive uses of domestic water in the design and economic assessment of water supply programmes has the potential to increase sustainability and transform the economic rationale of these investments. The research described below explored this issue, conducting fieldwork on the ways in which rural and peri-urban households in Vietnam are using domestic water. The study found that domestic water is being used for a broad range of productive activities, including widespread use in household gardens, animal husbandry and many type of micro enterprises. It also found that it was most often poor households engaging in these activities. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these findings for policy makers.