Assessing water service performances in rural sub-Saharan Africa environment: The case studies of two councils of the southern and eastern regions of the Republic of Cameroon (Central Africa)

This study uses multi-criteria analysis to assess water services performance provided to rural communities. The approach is based on five indicators (water availability, water quality, accessibility, affordability, and reliability) and allows the assessment of service levels. The indicators used provided a solid baseline for water services to identify a strategy for the improvement and achievement of universal access to water. We empirically applied the approach to rural water services in Cameroon and particularly in Mvangan and Mandjou Councils. A total of 77 water services has been investigated through technical inspection (water point inspection, flow measurement, and water quality analysis), semi-structured interviews with the technical services of these councils and surveys with water point committees, including 25 in Mandjou Council and 52 in Mvangan Council. The main results show that 43.40% of villages have enhanced services in Mvangan Council while only 4.76% of services are enhanced in Mandjou Council. Results also suggests that monitoring rural water services can improve the levels of services provided to populations and, hence, universal access to water. These assessments represent only a current snapshot of potable water delivery system conditions and should be conducted at regular intervals to track changes in overall and local conditions.