Community Participation and WASH Service Sustainability in Pastoralist Areas of Ethiopia: A Mixed-Methods Study
Abstract:
Community participation is widely
recognized as a cornerstone of sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene
(WASH) service delivery, particularly in pastoralist areas characterized by
mobility, resource scarcity, and institutional fragility. This study examines
the relationship between community participation and WASH service
sustainability in the Dassenech Woreda of the South Omo Zone, South Ethiopia
Regional State. Grounded in Social Practice Theory and the Health Belief Model,
the research utilizes a convergent mixed-methods design, integrating
quantitative household survey data (n = 435) with qualitative insights from 23
key informant interviews and 7 focus group discussions. Findings reveal that
higher levels of participation—measured through decision-making, financial
contribution, and maintenance engagement—are significantly associated with
improved WASH system functionality (β=0.53, p<0.01). Socio-cultural analysis
highlights how traditional institutions, such as the eight-clan structure and
the Dimi ceremony, influence collective action. Despite the challenges posed by
the Upper Omo River Highlands and unseasonal flooding, integrated interventions
in 2023 demonstrated that combining continuous treated water access with
culturally embedded hygiene promotion can eliminate reported cholera cases.
However, barriers including the marginalized "Die" social class and
the normalization of human-livestock proximity constrain long-term outcomes.
The study contributes empirical evidence on sustaining WASH systems in mobile
and climate-stressed environments, emphasizing the need for governance models
that align with indigenous ecological knowledge and egalitarian social
structures.
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