Turn up the dial! System dynamics modeling of resource allocations toward rural water supply maintenance in East Africa

In this study, developed as part of the USAID Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership, system dynamics modeling was used to investigate the effects of allocating resources to borehole maintenance and repair in the Afar Region in Ethiopia and Turkana County in Kenya. Models were calibrated using runtime and functionality data from sensors installed on 245 boreholes. We conclude that increasing the borehole repair and maintenance budgets in Turkana from the current 30% to 85% of available budgets could result in an additional 83 working boreholes and 95% functionality in 2030. In Afar, increasing maintenance budgets from 38% to 79% could result in functionality levels of 75% by 2030, well above currently projected levels of 54%.

Access the article through ASCE's Journal of Environmental Engineering here.