Tailored approaches of data collection for improved water system management in resource constrained contexts: lessons from Ethiopia

Access to water has improved globally; however, nearly 800 million people continue to lack access, particularly in resource constrained contexts. Current efforts are not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals aim of safe and affordable drinking water for all. Innovative and contextualized solutions are required. This article describes a university–government collaboration in Ethiopia that addressed key data limitations, without which equity-based decision-making was not possible. These efficient and cost-effective ways for obtaining and managing data support improved decision-making, and also identified avenues for improving water system governance through policy shifts and citizen participation.