Monica is not alone, and the water situation in many parts of the world is becoming worse. Ever-growing populations are making more demands on the world's scarce water resources. There is also growing competition among the various users of water, and household supplies often take second place to the demands of industry and agriculture. Combined with the growing need of the urban poor for safe domestic water and their willingness and ability to pay for it, this has created pressure to divert water from farming. More control by the poor over water is essential if they are to realize the full benefits from their farmland.
Water control is also vital for adequate and healthy drinking water and sanitation.
Improving the rural poor's access to water depends partly on redistributing water-yielding assets and partly on incentives to use assets that save water through labour. User participation in design, management and maintenance are proven keys to asset efficiency, yet they are usually absent. Appropriate water pricing and participatory water users' associations are important elements of any initiative for rural water-use efficiency. Its aim is to provide villagers with better access to safe drinking water. They, themselves, establish the cost of water.