Please reference this paper as: Bustamante, R., Butterworth, J., Callejo, I. d., Duran, A., Herbas, D., Hillion, B., Reynaga, M. and Zurita, G. 2004. Multiple sources for multiple uses: Household case studies of water use around Cochabamba, Bolivia. [online] Available at www.irc.nl (accessed [Date]). 1Multiple sources for multiple uses: Household case studies of water use around Cochabamba, Bolivia Rocio Bustamante1, John Butterworth2, Ivan del Callejo1, Alfredo Duran1, Daniel Herbas1, Benoit Hillion3, Magaly Reynaga1, and German Zurita1 1Centro- AGUA, Universidad Mayor de San Simon, PO Box 4926, Cochabamba, Bolivia (Corresponding author: [email protected]) 2Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK ([email protected]) 3 Institut National Agronomique de Paris-Grignon, France ([email protected]) Abstract This paper reports on a series of household water-use case studies around the city of Cochabamba in Bolivia. In particular it examines the multiple use of domestic water supplies, and the use by families of multiple sources to meet their water needs for both domestic and productive activities. As the city expands, it is argued that productive water uses such as irrigation of gardens or huertas are likely to make significant demands upon new domestic water supply systems. These uses are equally likely to have an important impact, whether positive or negative depending on your viewpoint, on the overall availability of water resources as well as on the livelihoods of urban and peri-urban water users. Keywords Multiple uses, water supply, irrigation, urban, peri-urban, agriculture, Bolivia Background In general, different institutions and specialists are engaged in meeting the needs for domestic and irrigation water. Bolivia is typical of many developing (and developed) country situations in this regard. Community-based water supply committees or utilities provide the domestic water, and a hierarchy of irrigation committees, associations and authorities develop and manage irrigation water. This segregated or sectoral approach is increasingly being challenged internationally (Moriarty et al., 2003). On the ground, irrigation water is commonly used for livestock or domestic needs, and domestic water supplies are often utilised for small-scale productive activities (Figure 1). As we see later in this paper: wells, piped or other water systems, irrigation canals and other sources (like wastewater or tankered supplies) can normally be found being used for a wide spectrum of uses covering drinking, other domestic uses like washing, irrigation of small gardens, larger-Figure 1 Multiple water sources and uses2scale irrigation of fields, and for livestock. It is the norm to find multiple sources being used for any particular purpose, and for multiple uses to be associated with any particular source. People and communities therefore have an integrated approach to the use of water (in rural, peri-urban and urban areas) that is rarely mirrored by the institutions involved in planning, developing and managing their water supplies. This paper reports the findings of two studies on household water use undertaken by research students attached to the research centre Centro-AGUA in Cochabamba, Bolivia (Herbas et al., 2003; Hillion, 2003). Both studies, one in Tarata-Arbieto and the other in Tiquipaya, were small sample, detailed case studies of household water use patterns in these different areas around Cochabamba. Study area The city of Cochabamba in central Bolivia (Figure 2) lies at the edge of the Andes and within the upper part of the Amazon basin. The climate is mild but relatively dry, and with only a short rainy season between December and March, irrigation has a huge impact on agricultural production (Table 1). The city is surrounded by productive valleys that even in modern times remain bread-baskets for the country as a whole, while also being vulnerable to the impacts of urbanisation. Tarata is a small town to the south-east of the city, and Tiquipaya is located on the peri-urban fringes of the rapidly growing city. Tarata Tarata is located 35 km from the city of Cochabamba in the province of Esteban Arze. It is a small market town with a population of around 4000 people. The town is in an important agricultural area, especially following the extensive development of irrigation in the 1990s. The large Laka Laka dam on the Calicanto River and its catchment area are located in the municipality of Tarata. However, most of the downstream irrigated areas actually fall within the neighbouring municipality of Arbieto. Besides cultivation and livestock keeping, the most important economic activities in Tarata are fishing, making and selling chicha (a maize drink), ceramic pottery and fireworks. Relatively low returns from the main sources of livelihood in the area - 88% Figure 2 Location of study sites Table 1 Key background statistics for the study areas Tarata-Arbieto Tiquipaya Area (km2) 326 124 320 Population (2001) -urban -rural 3323 5392 782 7034 26732 11059 Pop. density (persons/ km2) 26.7 63.0 118.1 Pop. growth (% 1992-2001) 0.39 2.04 11.23 Mean annual temperature (◦C) 16.4 Average annual rainfall (mm) 478.5 561.5 Annual potential evaporation at Lake Angostura (mm) 1,883 Altitude (masl) 2721 26103of people work mainly in agriculture, livestock raising or traditional craftworks – have resulted in high levels of both temporary and permanent migration. In the province of Estaban Arze (1994) average annual incomes are only US$637 but are higher in urban areas (US$1211) than rural areas (US$577) (Bustamante et al., 2004). Traditionally wheat, maize, alfalfa and potatoes have been the most important crops in the area. In Arbieto especially, higher value fruit tree crops, flowers and vegetables are now increasingly important as a result of improved irrigation. Most landholdings are individually owned and vary between 0,5 and 10 ha (average 1.2 ha per family). The Servicio de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado Tarata (SEAPA-Tarata), a municipally-owned utility, supplies domestic water to Tarata town primarily from groundwater sources. Groundwater is also exploited in the surrounding rural and irrigation areas to supplement surface water for irrigation and for either private or community domestic water supply. In Tarata, the traditional separation between domestic and irrigation sectors was also challenged by the