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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WATEREstimated water demand and proposed water resources for Arua20,000= Water demand18,00016,00014,000Surface water (Dam at Enyau River)12,00010,0008,000Waste water reuse (Cluster 3, 4 and 5)Greywater (Cluster 6, 8 and 9)Greywater (Cluster 1, 2 and 7)6,000Surface water (upgrading abstraction from Enyau River)4,0002,000GroundwaterSurface water – Anyau River (existing operating capacity)0203220312030202920282027202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012Source: Vairavamoorthy et al, 2012in huge public health risks. Finally, there is cascading use of wastewaterfor irrigation of urban agriculture, a common practice in manycities in sub-Saharan Africa. The cascading use of wastewater has theadvantage that the scarce water resources are used multiple times,but it increases public health risks by spreading the pathogens inthe wastewater. The integrated framework designed for sub-SaharanAfrica must explore solutions for safe cascading use of wastewaterfor urban agriculture.Because the infrastructure is often different in sub-Saharan Africathan in developed countries, many water demand management measuresthat are applicable in the latter cannot be implemented in thesedeveloping countries. 4 An integrated urban water framework designedspecifically for African cities must recognize these differences and thelimitations they create. For example, many African cities have a very oldwater distribution infrastructure which creates leakage levels of 30-50per cent. Under these conditions, leakage management programmesprovide a huge opportunity for IUWM in African cities. Unfortunately,when the water supply is intermittent and distribution pressures arelow, many water-saving devices for toilets, bathrooms and kitchensmay not be effective. Further, in water-scarce conditions where thepopulation already uses water efficiently, the potential for further watersavingmeasures is limited. An IUWM framework designed specificallyfor African conditions must select technologies which are suitable forthe conditions in African cities. For example, treatment technologieswhich could not work with intermittent energy supply (such as activatedsludge) are not applicable and more robust technologies such asstabilization ponds should be applied.By improving the understanding of the highly complex interactionsbetween the different parts of the African urban water cycle, an IUWMframework designed for Africa facilitates a structured and integratedanalysis and supports an integrated decision-making process.IUWM strategies for AruaAlthough the integrated framework may seemstraightforward, its application on the ground is challenging.The new integrated approach to urban watermanagement has been applied in a recently preparedfeasibility study for Arua, Uganda, funded by theWorld Bank. 5 Comparable concepts are proposedfor feasibility studies in Mbale, Uganda and Nairobi,Kenya. Arua is a rapidly emerging town located innorthern Uganda. It is experiencing a critical shortageof water and the main water source, the EnyauRiver, is affected by the increasing water demandsof upstream users, exacerbating the water shortageproblem. The current water supply is not sufficientto meet the existing demand, and with an estimatedpopulation growth of up to 200 per cent in the next20 years the problem will increase. In addition tothe water shortage problem, Arua also lacks adequatesanitation provisions, with dysfunctional pit latrines,open defecation and untreated wastewater posingboth health risks and water pollution risks. In orderto cope with these challenges, a feasibility study forfuture water supply and sanitation was developedapplying the integrated framework.Based on the integrated framework, the feasibilitystudy proposes that in Arua surface water,groundwater, artificial aquifer recharge and recycledwastewater (grey and black) should all be consideredas potential water sources, resulting in increasedwater security (security by diversity). This strategyincludes changing the way we think and the way we[ 281 ]