Assessing Socio-Technical Transitions Shaping Wash Sustainability in Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia

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DOI: 10.21522./TAJMHR.2016.06.01.Art008

Authors : Getachew Asmare Belay

Abstract:

The sustainability of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in pastoralist regions remains a complex challenge, exacerbated by environmental variability and large-scale infrastructural transitions. This study examines the socio-technical determinants of WASH functionality in Dassenech Woreda, South Omo Zone, Ethiopia, focusing on the systemic impact of the Upper Omo River highlands and the effectiveness of 2023 integrated interventions. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the research integrates quantitative data from 430 household surveys with qualitative ethnographic insights into the Dassenech age-set system, clan structures, and the Dimi ceremony. Findings indicate that WASH systems embedded within strong socio-technical arrangements—characterized by community ownership and appropriate technology—demonstrate significantly higher functionality rates. The study also reveals that the Upper Omo River highlands has disrupted traditional flood-recession agriculture, forcing a transition toward sedentary livelihoods and fishing, which increases vulnerability to waterborne diseases. However, the 2023 integrated WASH response, which coupled physical rehabilitation of 28 water schemes with hygiene promotion based on the Health Belief Model, contributed to the successful containment of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea. The report concludes that long-term resilience requires aligning technological solutions with the egalitarian social structures and mobility patterns of pastoralist communities.

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