Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box. As you probably know, there will rarely be simple or easy solutions to this kind of problem. Our lives are shaped by natural forces, and there are limits to the control we have over nature.
In addition, water policy is largely determined on a national level, rather than by each individual community. But in community work our focus is on what we can do, not what we can’t. And we are not powerless, even on a local level, and even in the face of life-threatening problems such as water supply.
To the extent you have not done so already, it will first help to gain clarity on the specific source or sources of the problem, through research, inquiry, and/or reflection. A next step is to identify the options available for addressing it. Then one chooses that option or options which seem the most likely to succeed, given the resources that you and your community have available. After that, one plans a strategy to achieve chosen options. Finally, one acts to implement the plan. It’s best to do this analysis together with colleagues, because your analysis will be then strengthened by incorporating the perspectives of others.
In other words, we advocate a logical and systematic analysis of the situation as a prelude to action in many problem situations, even if that analysis may require research, thought, and time. This is one way to use the power we already have. And in the long run, we believe this type of approach is well worth the effort.
Even then, though, there is of course no guarantee that the solutions agreed upon will be effective, or that they will solve the problem on their own. But more often than not they should help. And by adopting this approach, other possible solutions may appear.
Because we must limit the length of our response, what we’ve said so far is simplified and does not cover all details. But you can learn more from the various materials available in the Community Tool Box. For example, you might benefit from reviewing the different sections in Chapter 17, on Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions, which can be found at https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/analyze-community-problems-and-solutions. See especially Section 3, on Defining and Analyzing the Problem.
Another helpful source is Toolkit #7, on Developing an Intervention, at https://ctb.ku.edu/en/developing-intervention. You can find links to these and other sections in the Community Tool Box table of contents. We encourage you to consult them, to browse the Community Tool Box table of contents, and to utilize or adapt those materials that seem most useful to you.
We hope these thoughts may be helpful. Thank you again for being in touch, and we send best wishes as you and your community continue to work on this challenging problem.
