Sustainable groundwater supplies for rural communities: A common approach to project audit

摘要

Groundwater development programmes are normally deemed successful to the benefit of the implementer rather than appropriateness to the user. A system of common audit is proposed whereby all projects are measured against a uniform set of criteria which include not only the immediate success rate of bore-hole or well yields, but also the projected sustainablity of those yields within the prevailing physical, social and economic environment. An example from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa highlights some of the criteri that need to be assessed as part of an audit system.