Integrated Management of Urban Water Supply and Water Quality in Developing Pacific Island Countries

The general fragility and unique vulnerability of small island countries in the Pacific, has been widely acknowledged for a long time. So too has been the diversity of their geography, geology and sources of available freshwater. Sparse island communities have demonstrated remarkable resilience n the face of climatic extremes and natural hazards over the last 1,000-2,000 years. The well-developed local institutions, resilient social systems, sensitivity to environmental change, and the high value placed on equity in Pacific islands have provided capacities for adapting to threats and change and have allowed low density subsistence populations to survive. Traditional coping mechanisms and customary right and values, however, appear mismatched to the demands, responsibilities and altered social dynamics of high-density urban centres, many of which are in an interactive phase between subsistence and urban living. In this chapter we outline the interactions between technical, climatic, social and cultural factors in urban water supply and water quality in PICs. Our experience has been that to improve urban water supplies, policy makers, donors, and practitioners need to recognise and address these complex interactions in an integrated way. Single-issue, infrastructure-focused solutions that have not engaged local communities have had a poor success rate in the region.