The International Water and Sanitation Centre has issued a report on Multiple Use Water Systems (MUS) currently being implemented in developing countries by IDE and other organizations. The report, titled “Climbing the Water Ladder – Multiple-use Water Services for Poverty Reduction” concludes that MUS is an effective way to improve livelihoods:
“Our case studies confirm that water used at and around the homestead for multiple purposes brings substantial benefits to people’s livelihoods. Provided services are well targeted, homestead-scale MUS is a way of achieving a more integrated set of poverty impacts than conventional water services. Homestead-scale MUS empowers women and is accessible to the poor and is likely to be the best way to use water to contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”
You can read an executive summary or download the full report here.
