Investigating water knowledge flow to communities

Much has changed since the 1980s, politically and socially – today there are more resources, and more media options than printed books. Yet surprisingly little is known about which resources work best, and if so, why. This consultancy is a beginning of such an enquiry. Jane Burt interviewed thirteen ‘water communicators’ in different parts of the country, all of who have extensive experience working with poor people, both urban and rural, on water issues. These were followed up by two focus group meetings, which brought water communicators together. From the interviews and group meetings it became clear that the issues were more complex than we first envisaged (See interim report, Water Research Commission Project K8/813 2009 & Workshop Report, Water Research Commission Project K8/813, 2010). What emerged was that media forms and formats were only part of the challenge of water research communication. [authors abstract]