Water, Worship, and Action: Churches Strengthening Community Water Management in Solomon Islands

Author: Dr Mark Love, Research Fellow, IWC

In the remote villages of the Solomon Islands, where clean water is often hard to come by and government services are few and far between, an unlikely player is stepping up to fill the gap — the church.

A new report from the Pacific Community Water Management Plus (PaCWaM+) project — a partnership between the International WaterCentre, Griffith University,  The University of the South Pacific (Fiji & Vanuatu) and Solomon Islands National University (SINU), supported by the Australian Government’s Water for Women Fund — reveals just how impactful the collaboration between churches and communities can be.

From monthly cleanups to sermons on water stewardship, local faith leaders have become unexpected champions of safe water access.

The Challenge: Broken systems and a broken model

Rural Solomon Islands ranks among the lowest 20 countries globally for access to basic drinking water — and the situation is getting worse, not better. In 2000, around 76% of the rural population had access to basic drinking water. By 2022, that had dropped to just 59% (WHO/UNICEF, 2022).

Government systems meant to support rural water — particularly the RWASH program — have struggled due to budget shortfalls, COVID-19 disruptions, and unfilled staffing positions. In 2024, RWASH didn’t build a single new water system. One senior official called this “appalling” and “an example of over-promising and under-delivering”​ (see further Love et al., 2024). Meanwhile, more than half of existing water systems are estimated to be non-functional​ (MMERE, 2017).

The dominant model for rural water management – known as Community Water Management (CWM) – relies heavily on volunteer-run water committees. But these committees often lack the training, tools, and support they need. Research from around the world demonstrates that communities need some kind of ongoing post-construction  support if water systems are to reach their designed life-span and provide reliable and safe water services (Bauman, 2006; Hutchings et al., 2015, 2017; Lockwood and Smits, 2011; World Bank, 2017).

Regularly cleaning tap stands and establishing waste regimes (bins) were key water management actions listed in many Action Plans (e.g., Goveo, Baolo, Sapalei, Kongulavata)

Enter the Church: A local solution hiding in plain sight

In a region where over 90% of people identify as Christian, churches are not just places of worship — they’re pillars of community life. Pastors, deacons, and church groups are often more present and trusted than politicians or NGOs (Forman, 1982; McDougall, 2003).

Recognising this and building on earlier formative research and consultation with faith leaders in Solomon Islands (Love & Souter, 2022), researchers from International WaterCentre (Dr Mark Love) and SINU (Collin Benjamin, Sheilla Funubo and Dr Hugo Bugoro) initiated an action research pilot under the PaCWaM+ Phase II applied research project. The idea? Test whether faith-based organisations could serve as a “plus” in the struggling Community Water Management model (CWM+)​.

Workshops were held in Isabel and Western provinces in 2023, where faith leaders from multiple denominations – Anglican Church of Melanesia, United Church, South Seas Evangelical Church, Seventh Day Adventist  – created practical Action Plans for improving water systems in their parishes (11 in Western Province and 7 in Isabel Province).

Pictured above is a group photo from the community workshop in Western Province (United Church, South Sea Evangelical Church, Seventh Day Adventist). The title photo is a group photo from the community workshop in Isabel Province (Anglican Church of Melanesia). 

The Impact: From pulpit to pipes

Between nine and eleven months after the workshop, monitoring was conducted in nine of the eighteen communities where Action Plans were developed to see what had happened. The results were encouraging, with 66% of proposed actions being implemented:

1. Raising Awareness

Sermons became platforms for teaching water conservation. In Buala, Tiqiro, and Tsunami Valley, priests reminded congregations about responsible water use and screened videos after services (Water is Everyone’s Business video).

2. Community Fundraising

Fundraising was undertaken in 3 villages (Buala, Lembu and Kongulavata). In Kongulavata and Lembu, the church supported fundraising that led to significant water infrastructure and service delivery improvements. In Lembu and Buala, bake sales and “coffee nights” became vehicles for maintenance funding.​

3. Hands-On Maintenance

In several villages, including Sapalei and Tiqiro, regular clean-up days around taps and water sources were initiated — often led by church elders or church youth groups.​

4. New and Stronger Water Committees

Three communities formed new water committees, integrating church structures to ensure representation from women and youth. In Baolo, where no committee existed, the church itself became the interim water manager​.

5. Training and Capacity Building

Although RWASH struggled to meet training demand, church leaders in Buala helped coordinate a successful community workshop. In other villages, pastors reinforced key messages during church activities​.

In Lembu, the community installed a new tap stand in zone 3 – an area of the village where households struggled with access to reliable water.

Challenges along the way

Nevertheless, there is no silver-bullet solution. The research revealed several limitations, namely:

• Inconsistent Funding: Many communities rely on one-off fundraising. Regular water fees remain hard to institutionalise.
• Short Leadership Tenures: Some denominations (e.g., SDA) rotate pastors annually, disrupting continuity.
• Denominational Tensions: Especially in Western Province, mixed-church villages sometimes faced internal conflicts that slowed collective action.
• Old Infrastructure: Some water systems are beyond repair — maintenance helps, but full rehabilitation is needed​, acting as a disincentive for collective action.

Despite these challenges, the church fills an important gap — providing motivation, structure, and trust where state presence is limited or absent and, as demonstrated by the results, has had a tangible impact on water management actions.

What This Means: Working with the grain

This action research is a textbook example of “working with the grain” — aligning development initiatives with existing, culturally embedded institutions (Booth, 2012; Cassells, 2019; Hassall, 2012; Whaley et al., 2021). Rather than parachuting in external models, this approach partners with trusted community actors (churches) to support water governance in a locally meaningful way. As one participant said:

“Church involvement is important because people respect the church. When the church says something, people obey.”​

In addition to including water management and WASH information in sermons, in several villages signage was erected (e.g.,  Tsunami valley, water rules; Bula, water management messaging). 

Looking Ahead: Recommendations for scale-up

Based on the results, the report recommends:

• Formal partnerships between churches, RWASH, and provincial governments
• Training programs for pastors and clergy in water governance and infrastructure basics
• Financial management support through church-led programs to increase transparency and water fee success
• Encouraging cross-denominational collaboration to promote unity and reduce fragmentation

Conclusion

The PaCWaM+ research makes a compelling case that churches are a practical, underutilised, and contextually appropriate resource for rural water management in Solomon Islands.

When taps break, when water committees collapse, when maintenance slips through the cracks, the church is still there. Preaching not just salvation, but stewardship. Not just faith, but function.

In Solomon Islands, water may be everyone’s business — but it turns out the church is pretty good at running the meeting.

References

Baumann, E. 2006. Do operation and maintenance pay? Waterlines, 25(1), 10–12.

Benjamin, C., Funubo, S., Bugoro, H., Panda, N., Souter, R.T., and M. Love. 2023. Faith-based

Organisations and community water management in Solomon Islands: Results of an action research intervention in Isabel and Western Province. International WaterCentre, Griffith University: Nathan, Australia; Solomon Islands National University: Honiara, Solomon Islands. December 2024.

Booth, D. 2012. Development as a Collective Action Problem. Addressing the real challenges of African governance. London, UK: Overseas Development Institute.

Cassells, R.M. 2019. Engaging with churches to address development-related challenges in Solomon Islands. Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 16(1).

Forman, C.W. 1972. Missionaries and Colonialism: the case of the New Hebrides in the twentieth century, Journal of Church and State, 14(1): 75-92.

Hassall, G. 2012. Faith-based organisations and social policy in Melanesia. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 47(3):389-406

Hutchings, P., Chan, M.Y., Cuadrado, L., Ezbakhe, F., Mesa, B., Tamekawa, C. and Franceys, R., 2015. A systematic review of success factors in the community management of rural water supplies over the past 30 years. Water Policy , 17(5), pp.963-983.

Hutchings, P., Franceys, R., Mekala, S., Smits, S., James, A.J., 2017. Revising the history, concepts and typologies of community management for rural drinking water supply in India. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 33, 152-169.

Lockwood, H, & Smits, S. 2011. SupporQng rural water supply: Moving towards a service delivery approach. IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and Aguaconsult, Warwickshire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Love, M. and Souter, R. 2022. A Missing Link? Faith Based Organisations and rural community water management in the Pacific Islands: A scoping study with a focus on Solomon Islands. Internal document for Water for Women Partners.

McDougall, D. 2003. “Fellowship and Citizenship as Models of National Community: United Church Women’s Fellowship in Ranongga, Solomon Islands,” Oceania, 74(1–2): 61–80.

Whaley, L., Cleaver, F. and Mwathunga, E. 2021. Flesh and bones: Working with the grain to improve community management of water. World Development, 138, p.105286.

WHO/UNICEF 2022. Joint Monitoring Programme: Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) 2017. National Water Resources and Sanitation Implementation Plan (2017-2033), Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, National Intersectoral Water Coordination Committee (NIWCC). Solomon Islands Government.

Written by Dr Mark Love

Research conducted as part of PaCWaM+1 sought to answer the question: Do churches have a role to play in supporting community-based water management in the Pacific and, if so, what might this look like? Based on formative research in Solomon Islands and desk-top reviews of other Pacific Island Countries (PICs), the answer was “Yes, they do” and various options of what this might look like were identified.

With the support of the Australian Government’s Water for Women Fund, the International WaterCentre (IWC), Griffith University and Solomon Islands National University (SINU) have been undertaking action research with the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM), United Church (UC), South Sea Evangelical Church (SSES) and Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) churches in the Provinces of Isabel and Western.

Last year, IWC / SINU conducted workshops with 26 leaders from different church denominations in Solomon Islands, supported by senior environmental health inspectors from the relevant Provincial Environmental Health Division/RWASH. During the workshops, participants developed Action Plans and committed to undertaking numerous actions to improve community water management in their respective communities.

In June and July this year, Collin Benjamin and Sheilla Funubo, under the guidance of Dr Hugo Bugoro and Nixon Panda (SINU), completed monitoring of these Action Plans. The results are promising, supporting “proof of concept”.  Highlights include:

• Conducting community awareness about water management (sometimes using the “Water is Everyone’s Business: video)
• Re-establishing water committees
• Introducing or re-vitalising water fees
• Conducting fundraising for water system improvement
• Improving rubbish collection and disposal in the village
• Cleaning tap-stands and dams more frequently
• Undertaking repairs
• Priests’ integrating water stewardship messages into sermons.

In terms of meeting the specific targets as laid out in each of the Action Plans, most communities were sitting on between 40-70% completion rate.

“Before, you would see empty plastic bottles and detergent containers lying around the stand taps. Now, you hardly see them” (Titiro, Isabel)

The Oceanic region is known as “the most solidly Christian part of the world,” with over 90% of Pacific Islanders identifying as Christian. Churches and church-related organizations (faith-based organizations or FBOs) play a crucial role in the region’s history, culture, and politics. In rural Solomon Islands, church leaders, along with customary institutions like chiefs and cultural norms, shape the patterns of daily life. As George Hoa’au has noted, “The church has a very special kind of respect within villages; people don’t see the member of parliament every day, they see the pastor and priest every day.” Church-related groups are typically the most active institutions at the village level, providing many of the services typically associated with the state in Western contexts.

Some of the church leaders involved in the workshops undertook actions in all the communities they oversee (up to 6 villages), demonstrating the institutional reach and scalability of the church.

Churches are not a magic bullet, but they are an active, influential and overlooked WASH ally in the Pacific region. The early results of this research suggest that FBOs constitute an important “plus” that can help support the community-based water model at the rural level.  Government and other actors still have an important role to play but whilst the community-water management model remains the dominant approach in the region churches  can, and should, be engaged with more by development partners and governments seeking to improve rural WASH in PICs

Fig. 1. Tap-stand, Baolo village, Isabel

Fig. 2. Sheilla Funubo interviews a member of the Mothers Union as part of the monitoring research in Buala village, Isabel

Learn more about this project

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Water for Women Fund.

Community members receive research findings reports

By Senior Project Officer Diana Gonzalez Botero

During the first phase of the Pacific Community Water Management Plus (PaCWaM+) research, the teams in Solomon Islands and Fiji spent a week in each study community collecting data about community water management, household water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health situations, water quality, sanitary risk assessment and the socio-economic context. 

After completing the data collection and analysis, the PaCWaM+ team delivered summary reports and posters back to these communities to inform them of the research findings.The four-page summary reporthighlights the key findings related to the WASH situation, strengths and weaknesses of the village water system management, people’s perceptions of the main issues in the community, and the key water management challenges experienced by residents. The report also includes key recommendations that community members and leaders can implement to improve their water services, as well as information about hand hygiene in the context of COVID-19.

The report also includes key recommendations that community members and leaders can implement to improve their water services, as well as information about hand hygiene in the context of COVID-19.

Copies of the village reports were presented to the Village Chief, the Water Committee, and the village nurse in each community. Additionally, posters were displayed in public places where all the community members could see them. 

The water committee members who received thesereports thanked the research team for conducting the research in their community and for bringing back the results. A water committee chairman from one of the communities said, “the report shares a very powerful message to the village”and noted that they have started planning how the committee can work together with the community to improve their water supply system and management practices based on the research findings. 

The PaCWaM+ project is managed by the International WaterCentre at Griffith University and delivered with our research partners, Solomon Islands National University and the University of South Pacific. The research is funded by the Australian Aid’s Water for Women Fund, and is supported by Plan International Australia, Live & Learn Solomon Islands, Habitat for Humanity Australia and Fiji. 

To learn more, visit: www.watercentre.org/research/pcwm