Poverty, water security and household water use: a case of Malawi-Mozambique border town of Dedza in Malawi

Demographic and water security information was collected in a questionnaire survey and analysed using SPSS 10.1. Water resources management was also assessed through a desk study of the water policy, laws and institutions. Water governance issues were investigated by looking at the level of community participation through focus Group Discussion. Key interviews were used to assess water Demand Management. The households in the town and the surrounding wards enjoy a limited level of water security that dwindles due to water shortages in the dry months and declining water quality in the wet months. Conditions of access to household water are variable between households especially the households that use water sources other than house connections. Conditions of access are proximity of source, availability and age of water carriers and household size. The existence of water point committees at the lowest level, whose 70 to 80% of their members are women, means that women are involved in water resources management. This study concluded that there is a relationship between water security and socio-economic household poverty characteristics. However, clearly many more factors other than water security alone influence poverty levels at the household level.