Tens of millions of rural Africans depend on handpumps for water supplies. However, at any given moment around one in three pumps is not working, often because obtaining spare parts is difficult. What must be done to create sustainable supply chains and encourage the private sector to meet the demand for spare parts?

A report from the Water and Sanitation Program in Kenya describes lessons from studies of handpump spare parts supply in 15 African countries.

The private sector is involved in the supply chain for Africa’s agricultural sector but donors and project implementers dominate rural water supply management. While they often work to create spares supply networks, they generally lack strategies for handing over to private, public or joint private/public providers.

The choice of technology has a fundamental impact on the ability of a supply chain to support spare parts and repair needs. Pump user communities must be helped to understand the impacts of choosing each type of handpump – operational and maintenance requirements, costs and long-term support requirements.

The simplest technology suited to local geological requirements should be chosen and the viability of a private sector supply chain must be assessed. For example, simple technologies, such as the rope pump – which has been transferred from Nicaragua to eight African countries – have few spare parts and can be produced locally. The aim should be to create high volumes of particular pumps within a geographical area in order to generate sufficient demand to stimulate private sector interest.

The author warns that:

• Relaxing import duties may lead to the availability of technologies that do not support local spares procurement needs or support.
• The potential move towards greater personal/household ownership of water lifting equipment may create a demand on the private sector for new types of handpump, which a standardisation policy may not be able to control.
• In countries with low population densities – and low levels of demand – spare part supply chains operated exclusively by the private sector are unlikely to work.

There is no single best type of supply chain to deliver handpumps, spares and repair services in rural Africa. Supply chains can be operated by the private or the public sector, or through public/private operation and maintenance schemes. While understanding the lessons from previous supply chain work is still in its early stages, it is clear that ultimate responsibility for creating conditions for sustainable provision lies with governments. They need to:

• engage communities, civil servants and the private sector in choosing technologies, providing training and assessing supply chain options
• identify constraints to developing private sector supply chains: states can encourage private sector activity by reducing import duties on water technology and relaxing the requirements for registration to allow smaller businesses to bid for support contracts
• realise that where governments are required to play the central role in managing the supply chain, they must make a long-term commitment
• establish clear strategies for phasing out external agency interventions.

Source(s):
‘Spare Part Supplies for Handpumps in Africa: Success Factors for Sustainability’, Water and Sanitation Program, Field Note, by Anthony Oyo, October 2006 (PDF) Full document.

Funded by: Water and Sanitation Program

id21 Research Highlight: 2 May 2007

Further Information:
Anthony Oyo

Contact the contributor: adoyo@tiscali.co.uk

Water and Sanitation Program - Africa

Water and Sanitation Program - Africa
World Bank
Hill Park Building
Upper Hill Road
PO Box 30577
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel: +254 20 3226306
Fax: +254 20 3226386
Contact the contributor: wspaf@worldbank.org

Other related links:
'Drilling to supply Africa's water needs'

'Handpumps: Toward a Sustainable Technology' Research and Development During the Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (PDF)

'Achieving sustainable water supply in rural Africa'

'Rural water supply in Zambia: local solutions are best'

'Sustainable sanitation in rural South Asia'