Distance to Water Source

Indicator Phrasing

average time required to reach the water source, collect water (including queuing), and bring it back home

Indicator Phrasing

English: average time required to reach the water source, collect water (including queuing), and bring it back home

French: temps moyen nécessaire pour atteindre un point d’eau, collecter de l’eau (incluant le temps d’attente), et ramener l’eau au domicile

Spanish: tiempo medio necesario para llegar a la fuente de agua, recogerla (incluyendo las colas) y llevarla a casa

Portuguese: tempo médio necessário para chegar à fonte de água, recolher a água (incluindo o tempo de espera), e trazê-la de volta a casa

Czech: průměrný čas potřebný k cestě k vodnímu zdroji, sebrání vody (včetně čekání), a přinesení ji domů

What is its purpose?

The indicator measures the average time household members need to go to their water source, collect water (including the waiting time), and bring it back home. The distance to the water source is a robust independent predictor of disease risk in that household (a 15-minute decrease in one-way walking time to the water source is associated with a 41% average relative reduction in diarrhoea prevalence*).

How to Collect and Analyse the Required Data

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of adults from your target households:

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

(ask the following questions straight after you assess the source of the household's drinking water - see relevant indicator)

Q1: During this season, how long does it take you to go once to [specify the source], collect the water, and bring it back home?

A1: _

1) ..... minutes

2) does not know

Q2: During [specify the season], how long does it take you to go once to [specify the source], collect the water, and bring it back home?

A2: _

1) ..... minutes

2) does not know

Calculate the average time by summing up the reported times and diving them by the number of people who reported them (separate the times for whatever seasons you are assessing – for example, dry and rainy season).

E-Questionnaire

XLS form for electronic data collection - indicator Distance to Water Source

Important Comments

* data source - click here

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