Clean Water Access, Intra-Household Dynamics, and Non-Farm Entrepreneurship in Rural Tanzania

Policy Context

Unsafe water consumption is one of the most common sources of illness and premature death around the globe. Population growth, climate change, and poor water governance contribute to this problem. In Tanzania, despite abundant natural water resources, approximately 47million (68%) of the total population  lack access to clean and safe water. Moreover,  households – especially women, spend substantial time fetching water and collecting fuel to purify it, making inadequate water access a source of gender inequality as well as a health risk. 

A key open question is how reductions in water and fuel collection reshape women’s engagement in rural households. This pilot lays the groundwork for a larger experiment testing whether solar-powered water treatment — which eliminates the need to fetch fuel for boiling. 

Study Design

This pilot aims to understand whether 1) free time is reallocated to productive economic activities in rural areas; 2) clean drinking water access facilitates non-farm entrepreneurial activities; and 3) the role of intra-household gender bargaining in mediating the translation of time savings into economic opportunities.

The pilot runs in two villages in Karatu District, Arusha Region, Tanzania. Over one week, the team will conduct a baseline diagnostic with 10 households and four focus group discussions. Surveys will capture household time use, non-farm enterprise activity, and intra-household decision-making, alongside current drinking water sources, perceived water quality, and openness to solar-powered water treatment.

Results and Policy Lessons

Results forthcoming.