Rural water supply network making a difference

Intensified experience and knowledge sharing is needed to strengthen sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness in rural water supply. RWSN’s objective to create a vibrant knowledge sharing network uses an integrated approach: locating and capturing experiences and best practices, validating knowledge and extracting lessons learnt, storing knowledge and making it accessible, enabling the creation of new knowledge, disseminating and facilitating sharing of knowledge, and supporting application of knowledge by capacity building and training. Thematic programmes keep networks active and innovative. Originally conceived as the Handpump Technology Network (HTN), RWSN recently decided to focus its work in three specific areas: Cost-effective boreholes, Sustainable Handpumps, and Self-supply, incremental improvements by households. RWSN also maintains its interest in developing and promoting sustainable solutions based handpumps and low-cost technologies. Efficient and effective knowledge sharing needs a well-organised backbone. Step-by-step, RWSN has grown to a leading global knowledge network with about 900 individual and institutional members.