COVID-19 Impacts on Water Burden among Households in Turkana

Following confirmation of the first case of the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Kenya in March 2020, the Government issued an advisory in ensuring high standards of hygiene through regular handwashing using soap and water. A national protocol on COVID- 19 was launched, which among others, underscored handwashing and high levels of hygiene maintenance. These required an increased household water demand that caused elevated household water bills, leaving poor households vulnerable to water insecurity. The pandemic has severely modified the patterns and behaviour of the economy of water (Vammen and Guillen, 2020). Water service providers (WSPs) have also been adversely affected. The Lodwar Water and Sanitation Company (LOWASCO), for instance, finds it hard to effectively supply clean water due to decreased revenues from non-payment (LOWASCO official, pers. comm.). With the government's directive that WSPs should not disconnect water supply for 3 months (March-May 2020) including households in default, WSPs faced challenges in meeting some of their operational costs such as power bills and staff wages (Senkwe and Gakubia, 2020). The directive is far from adequate, largely temporary, and unsustainable (Senkwe and Gakubia, 2020).

2020年3月肯尼亚确诊首例新型冠状病毒病（novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19）后，该国政府发布卫生防护倡议，要求民众通过使用肥皂与流动清水勤洗手以维持高标准卫生防护标准。与此同时，国家新冠疫情防控规程正式出台，其中明确将勤洗手与高水平卫生维护列为核心要求之一。此类要求大幅提升了家庭需水量，进而推高了家庭水费支出，致使贫困家庭更易陷入水不安全困境。此次疫情已严重改变了水经济的格局与运行行为（Vammen与Guillen，2020）。供水服务商（Water Service Providers, WSPs）亦受到显著负面影响。以洛德瓦尔供水与卫生公司（Lodwar Water and Sanitation Company, LOWASCO）为例，因欠费拒缴导致营收下滑，该公司难以有效供应清洁用水（LOWASCO官方，个人沟通）。根据政府指令，供水服务商需在2020年3月至5月期间不得断水，即便针对欠费家庭亦不例外，这使得供水服务商面临电力账单、员工薪资等运营成本的支付难题（Senkwe与Gakubia，2020）。该指令远不足以解决根本问题，且基本属于临时性、不可持续的应急举措（Senkwe与Gakubia，2020）。