If you are here, you have likely watched our video, “Spend It or Lose It.” If you haven't, click above to watch it. The video addresses a problem rarely discussed openly in Malawi’s water sector i.e. waste created by poor funding incentives.

Many NGOs are judged by how much of their budgets they spend. A high burn rate signals progress. A low burn rate invites questions. This places organizations under pressure to spend quickly, sometimes through large infrastructure projects. The problem is simple. Spending money is not the same as spending money well.

When New Is Easier Than Necessary

In some communities, existing water systems need repair or rehabilitation. Yet new systems are sometimes installed nearby because new construction absorbs more money, produces better photographs, and is easier to report as a major output.

The result might be two handpumps standing beside each other, or a new piped system serving an area where another system already exists.

Meanwhile, another community remains without safe water.

Some people have accused us of exaggerating this problem. Fair enough. So here are photographs from sites where functional handpumps or piped systems were constructed next to each other without a clear technical justification.

Unless the boreholes have developed a sudden need for companionship, something has gone wrong.

This does not mean NGOs are careless or dishonest. Many are responding to systems that reward expenditure, visible infrastructure, and short funding cycles. When success is measured by how fast money leaves the account, thoughtful planning starts to look like delay. Trust us, we have been there many times ourselves.

We Know the Problem. What Comes Next?

The solution begins with planning.

Before funding or installing rural water infrastructure, organisations need evidence showing:

• Where water facilities already exist.
• Which facilities are functional.
• Which facilities need repair or rehabilitation.
• Which communities still lack adequate services.
• Where further field verification is required.

Field assessments provide the strongest evidence, but visiting every possible location during proposal development is expensive. Malawi already has a useful starting point.

Start with MWAMIS

The Malawi Water Asset Management Information System, MWAMIS, is a government digital repository containing records for more than 100,000 water points across rural Malawi.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, in close partnership with BASEflow, has been working to increase the use of this platform for planning purposes.

MWAMIS does not replace field verification. Data changes, infrastructure breaks, and some records require updating. The platform provides a practical middle ground between visiting every village and planning with no evidence.

Organizations may use MWAMIS to identify likely service gaps, narrow their target areas, and conduct focused field assessments. This reduces planning costs and takes the guesswork out of infrastructure decision-making.

How to Request Information

If your organization is planning a rural water project, start with the District Water Office in your proposed district. Ask whether the office has access to MWAMIS and whether staff are able to provide the required information.

Some District Water Offices actively use the system. Others might have new staff, limited access, or require technical support.

Where the District Water Office is unable to assist, please reach out to us on info@baseflowmw.org, and we will connect you with the relevant officials at the ministry level.

What If Planning Has Already Started?

Do not panic. There is no need to quietly slide the proposal under a table and pretend nobody saw it.

MWAMIS still provides value after an initial plan or budget has been prepared. Organisations may use government data to refine target locations, justify changes, strengthen donor reporting, and redirect resources towards communities with the greatest need.

Changing a plan in response to better evidence is not failure. Building an unnecessary water system because the budget already says “new borehole” is a far more expensive mistake.

So, by all means, spend it, but please, spend it well 😉