Water carrying problem by women in rural areas

Part-I: Defining the Problem Statement Transporting a bucket of drinking water is a struggle for most women in the country. The drying and reducing water resources have led to acute water scarcity, affecting the socioeconomic condition of the poor people. This time lost in fetching water can very well translate into financial gains, leading to a better life for the family. If opportunity costs were taken into account, it would be clear that in most rural areas, households are paying far more for water supply than the often normal rates charged in urban areas1. Studies have shown that 75% of girls aged 15-17 in rural areas drop out of school because of such pressures on their time2. The health impact of various interventions to improve access to safe water has been extensively reviewed, but primarily by focusing on rates of acute infectious diarrhoeal illness to evaluate outcome3. It is likely that more health impacts of sub-optimal water supply are frequently overlooked or underestimated, because effects other than acute diarrhoeal illness are not usually considered4. Adverse Health Effects: Water filled containers are often carried on the head, however, transportation with wheel barrows, animal drawn carts or by rolling filled containers has also been observed 5. These methods obviously create physical demands on the body and may cause physical stress. Physical load on the body within an individual's capacity for adaptive responses may lead to tissue strengthening, however, frequent loading beyond capacity for adaptation or repair may lead to injury through fatigue failure, accumulation of fatigue damage or early degenerative changes in bone and soft tissues6 Water carrying is not the only manual work performed by women and children in lower income countries. Carrying distance could be used together with total volume or weight of water carried and path gradient to indicate the level of physical work imposed by water carrying.

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http://www.navdanya.org/earth-democracy/water-democracy http://delhigreens.com/2013/07/31/reinventing-the-wheel-to-prevent-rural-women-from-carrying-water-ontheir-head/ 3 Gundry S, Wright J, Conroy R. A systematic review of the health outcomes related to household water quality in developing countries. J Water Health. 2004;2:1–13 4 Clasen T, Schmidt WP, Rabie T, Roberts I, Cairncross S. Interventions to improve water quality for preventing diarrhoea: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2007;334:782. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39118.489931.BE 5 Geere JL, Mokoena MM, Jagals P, Poland F, Hartley S. How do children perceive health to be affected by domestic water carrying? Qualitative findings from a mixed methods study in rural South Africa. Child: care, health and development 6 Joosab M, Torode M, Rao PV. Preliminary findings on the effect of load carrying to the structural integrity of the cervical spine. Surg Radiol Anat. 1994;16:393–398. doi: 10.1007/BF01627659 2

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Part-II: Reviewing the existing Water Carrying Methods and their Challenges Some of the water carrying methods presently used in rural areas are reviewed below along with the challenges faced. Key: (a)Quantity of water transported: Assuming basic water requirement of 20L/person/day. (b)Safe transport and storage: container keeps water safe from contamination and allows for hygienic storage at the household. (c)Water Spilling: Technology and container prevents water from spilling. (d)Adaptability to terrain: Water can be transported through difficult terrain. (e)Container weight: The technology allows without exposure to long-term physical injury. Picture

water

to

be

loaded

and

carried

S No 1

Method

Challenge

Buckets or jars on head

(a), (b),(c),(e)

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Animal-drawn cart

(a),(b), (d)

2

3

Wheelbarrow

(b),(c), (d)

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Water Trolley with small wheels

(b), (c),(d)

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Hand Drawn Cart

(b), (d)

3

6

(d) , (e)

Water Jacket/ PackH2O

Part-III: Understanding the Need to design

Why? How? What?

Define the Why? How? and What?7 Part of the problem. This will include understanding the problem of water accessibility and carrying and also through interaction with the community facing the above listed challenges. It is important to understand the ‘why?’ from the point of view of the affected women and children. An effective human-centered design approach addresses not only the functional requirements, but also the emotional needs of the users.

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The Golden Circle Approach; Sinek S. New York: Portfolio Trade; 2009. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

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The following process of understanding the need to design is useful. In this case we are looking at the problem of water carrying by women in rural areas. 1. Defining the context: From users point of view (What?) 2. User requirements and needs (Why?) 3. Design Solutions (How?) Part-IV: Defining the User Context While looking at the solution for the problem explained above, we need to define the parameters, context and the situation that will lead to the solutions. For this we need to define the user needs:

Context /User Needs

Institutional

Functional (technological)

Physical/SociaoEconomic

Unspoken Latent needs/cultural

First we have to define all the parameters and then we will take some specific cases to understand these. The latent needs can be better understood only when we interact with the user. This includes observation as well as detailed discussions with the community.

Understanding Context

Review

Expert Opinion

Grassroots Innovators interaction

Analogous Learning

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Immersion

Direct Interaction

The user needs and context can be understood through the following parameters defined in terms of the needs and context. Functional Aspects: 1. Shape/Size and Dimensions of carrying vessel  Weight  Volume  Size of Container  Material 2. Availability of local material  Bamboo  Earthen pots  Plastic containers  Metallic 3. Cost Effectiveness  Affordability  Maintenance charges  Reuse 4. Problem of Spillage  While Transporting  While loading/unloading  While pouring in storage vessels at home  Handling 5. Contamination while travelling  Covered Vessels  Earthen Pots  Open Vessels 6. Storage at home  Buckets  Covered Vessels  Same earthen pots Physical Aspects: 1. Terrain  Mountains  Hilly region  Sandy area  Flood plains  Rough surfaces  Arid regions 2. Who will be carrying?  Women  Children (5-10 years)  Children (above 10) 6

3.

4. 5.

6.

7. 8.

 Older Women/Men Climate  Extreme hot conditions  Extreme Cold conditions  High rainfall areas Distance to fetch water from source Source to fetch water  Well  Pond  River  Hand-Pump  Stream/nallah  Tubewell  Community standpost/Taps Health aspects  Malnutrition  Disability Number of times fetching water required? Socio-Economic conditions

Unspoken Latent needs: 1. Status 2. Observing people and their needs 3. Expectations 4. Detailed discussions 5. Quality of life 6. Education 7. Culture 8. Accepting the technology 9. Ease of use 10. Regular Maintenance 11. Reducing drudgery for women 12. Maintenance Cost The following cases will help define the user needs in a particular context which will help in moving toward the human cantered design process for the solution of the problem. It is important to understand how users deal with the situation. Here we try and understand the various cases for defining user needs in different context. Different solutions are needed for different user needs. Before moving to the ideation and prototyping stage, each solution needs to be looked in the context to better design the solutions.

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S No 1

Case

Defining Context

Mountain regions

Through Literature  Carrying heavy weight on head for women twice a day  Walking distance in difficult terrain of steps  Problem of spillage  Odd size of containers  Waiting for long hours  Fatigue  Caste Dynamics  Long waiting

Long waiting time for filling water in Chausali, kausani, Uttarakhand. Several springs in this area have dried up, causing the community to change the traditional division among castes. Women here are limited to filling one container a day. Previously different castes used separate springs, but now upper and lower castes are using the same water sources. (http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/him alaya_1/index.php, accessed on May 10, 2015)

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2

Arid Regions

Through Literature  Carrying heavy weight on head for women twice a day  Walking long distances in scorching heat  Use of metal containers which get heated  Problem of malnutrition  Two-three containers at a time  Cultural aspects

Womenfolk travel for miles in search of water carrying clay containers on their heads. The well is the centre of action in the entire village where people gather to get their daily water.

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Flood Prone Regions

Through Literature  Problem of reaching the sources  Contamination of water and vessels  Size and weight of containers as walking in inundated waters will be difficult.  Long distance to fetch clean water  Quantity of water  Storage of water  Terrain poses great difficulty  Duration of floods

A boy in West Bengal, India pumps water from a well in a flooded area. Floodwaters can contaminate cisterns and improperly designed wells, compounding problems caused by the river currents and inundation. (http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/DaEn/Developing-Countries-Issuesin.html#ixzz3ZtuU4uYJ, accessed on May 12, 2015)

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Drought Prone Region

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Through Literature  Limited quantity of water available  Long waiting  No sub storage facility available  Extreme hot conditions  Women health and nutrition  Backward area  Poor socio-economic condition  Loss in education for young girls and boys  Power dynamics and people influencing access to water  Case Dynamics

Women rush to fill as much water as they can from tanker in Valhewadi taluka, Ghotewadi village, Nashik. This is the driest area of Nashik. The Valhewadi hamlet has about 50 households also does not receive sufficient water due to the long distance and non availability of sub- water storage tank. (http://peerwater.org/en/plan/proposals/358Integrated-Drinking-Water-Project-Valhewadiblock-Sinnar-Dist-Nashik-Maharashtra-, accessed on May 12, 2015)

Process of Immersion and direct interaction8 1. 2. 3. 4.

Importance of observing people and their context part of the design process. How people relate to one another and the world. Defining people’s expectations. Exploring and getting inputs from the whole ecosystem of people and environment involved. 5. Putting ourselves in their shoes or field-dependent thinking. 6. Putting information in context and picking up important contextual cues from environment. 7. Looking out for diverse people and situations to promote empathy. 8

http://www.ideo.com/images/uploads/news/pdfs/Empathy_on_the_Edge.pdf (accessed on May 11, 2015)

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Part-V: Towards Empathetic Design Process

Technology driven

Environmentally sustainable

Human Centered

Keeping the context and user needs in mind, the approach to solve the problem should be based on the three parameters: 1. Human Centered 2. Environmentally Sustainable 3. Technology Driven

For this once we approach the probable solution or technological intervention for the problem, we should keep in mind the following three factors.

Consumers/ Users needs

Design Context : Factors that may affect user interaction with product

Consumers target of using the product or service

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Part- VI: Reviewing the existing solutions and innovations S N o

Existing Solution

1

Wello Water wheel: A simple solution that can make a difference

Review Wello's mission is to effectively deliver clean water to a thirsty world. By reframing the water crisis as an opportunity, the Wello team has developed an innovative business model that empowers individuals to use the Wello Water Wheel, an innovative water transportation tool as an income-generating tool to lift their families out of poverty. The result is a plastic wheel that serves as a 50 litre container that enables people to roll ample collections from water sources at once rather than carrying multiple jugs on their heads between three and five times the amount of water collected by traditional methods, in short, far more water and in less time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hs4mmTt Tmk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8ILNtYuF w4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST0dSEFi Vos#t=119 http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/poverty matters/2013/dec/29/waterwheel-burdenwomen-water-container

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The Hippo Water Roller Project

The Hippo Water Roller Project aims to alleviate the daily struggle endured by women and children by helping them improve their ability to transport much more water, more easily and in less time from water points that are often located far from their homes. We achieve this by partnering with like-minded organisations and individuals who feel compelled to share their wealth or who wish to build relationships with BOP (base of the pyramid) communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPCTscer VvI http://hipporoller.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/Hippo-Water-RollereBrochure.pdf?18002a

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3

Aquaduct: Mobile Filtration Vehicle

The Aquaduct is pedal powered vehicle that transports, filters, and stores water for the developing world. A peristaltic pump attached to the pedal crank draws water from a large tank, through a filter, to a smaller clean tank. The clean tank is removable and closed for contamination-free home storage and use. A clutch engages and disengages the drive belt from the pedal crank, enabling the rider to filter the water while travelling or while stationary. The Aquaduct is the winning entry in the Innovate or Die contest put on by Google and Specialized. The contest challenge was to build a pedal powered machine that has environmental impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U-mvfjyiao http://science.howstuffworks.com/environment al/green-tech/remediation/aquaduct-filtrationvehicle2.htm

Part-VI: Designing new Solution or working on existing ones Keeping the above problem statement in mind and the methods used for carrying water, we need to design the best possible solution (innovative and frugal) which can ease the burden of carrying water on women and children in rural as well as urban areas. Also we need to look at the user context defined above while devising the solutions. Though there have been innovations as explained, but we are looking for a solution which is affordable and acceptable by the community. For this we need to interact with the users and follow an iterative design process. Involving users in the design process and getting their inputs will be a critical step for solving this problem. We need to look at each existing solution in terms of the user context and needs defined above.

Challenge: Can we come up with an innovative technology to reduce drudgery on women and help increase their quality of life?

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References: Peppler, B. K., & Bender, S. (2013). Maker movement spreads innovation one project at a time, (November). Hagel, J., & Brown, J. S. (n.d.). A movement in the making A report by the Deloitte Center for the Edge About the authors. Bootcamp bootleg. Institute of Design at Stanford ELMANSY, R. (2015). Characteristics of Human Centered Design. Retrieved May 11, 2015, from http://www.designorate.com/characteristics-of-human-centered-design/ Akpem, S. (2015). Designing Case Studies_Showcasing A Human-Centered Design Process. Retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/02/12/designing-casestudies-human-centered-design-process/ Developing Technologies for Women. (n.d.), 1–13. Thomas, J., & Deana McDonagh. (2013). Empathic design:Research strategies. Australas Med J., 6(1), 1–6. doi:10.4066/AMJ.2013.1575 Approach, S. A. H., The, I. N., Practice, E., & Design, O. F. (n.d.). EMPATHY ON THE EDGE SCALING AND SUSTAINING A HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH, 1–14. IDEO. (2015). The field guide to Human-Centered Design (p. 194). Acumen HCD Workshop. (n.d.). An introduction to human-centered design (pp. 1–19). Innovation, C. (n.d.). The World Is Ours to Make : The Impact of the Maker Movement. Carr, M., & Hartl, M. (2010). Lightening the Load Labour saving technologies and practices for rural women (p. 76). Warwickshire: IFAD. Delft, T. U., & Magni, R. (2013). How products and services can help us act in ways that bene t society. Lee, J. J. (2012). Against Method : The Portability of method in Human-Centered Design. Giacomin, J. (n.d.). Microsoft Word - What is Human Centred Design, (Krippendorff 1989).

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