Linkages between Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) and Food Security in Four Case Study Communities of East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Region'

Abstract

The study aims at assessing the relationship between water supply and sanitatiol!
andfood security. The methods used to obtain the data included household surveys
and 'panicipatory rural appraisal' (PRA) methods. The latter included focus
group discussions, case study households, and key illfomUlIll interviews with the
elder/y, development agenTs. health extension workers and NGO representatives.
The resullS of the study revealed that the villagers of Gaja in Ida Jalela Kebele.
who have got water schemes, cast doubts on the safeness and cleanliness of the
water. The inhabitants of Sirba village in /fa Kebele, who have also water
schemes. feel that the water supply is inadequate to meet household requirements.
The other /wo kebefes that hnve no access to water schemes. viz. Shek Abdi ill
Babile Woreda and Burakssa in Goro Gutu. use water from natural sources tha!
are neither clean nor locaIed nearer to their homesteads. Lack of access to safe
water ho.s affected sanitarian and brought about health problems for humans and
livestock, wastage of time and labour power, and inability to intensify agriculture
through irrigation. The people in the study villages are food insecure with threeqllaners
of the households being unable to sustain themselves all year round.
Factors that adversely affect crop production, livestock raising. earnings from
non-farm activities, alld food utilizations explain households' food insecurity. The
Villagers in both woredas have put forward the following measures to improve
their food insecurity situations: expansion of irrigation agriculture, construction of
big water JUpp/y .~chemes and development of water paints for livestock.