The Resources, Infrastructure, Demand and Access (RIDA) Framework
The RIDA framework is used in an attempt to observe the linkages between demand and access to water and the infrastructure that is required to harness the use of this resource.
Resources: Water resources are accessed according to quantity and quality, temporal variability and their location. The assessment of water resources can also take account of water policy and the institutions that have responsibility for managing and regulating the use of water resources.
For RWH one would need to measure the pattern and quantities of rainfall in a given region to gain relevant information.
Infrastructure: Water infrastructure consists of those physical man made constructions used to abstract, treat, convey and deliver the resource to the end users. It includes those methods used to collect, transport, treat and dispose of wastewater.
Here an assessment of the how varying technologies and the required management of these comes about, the labour and material required to build it and make it sustainable. Where these measures are not in place it is possible to access why and what measures could take place to retain a more sustainable water infrastructure. RWH may or may not be a viable option according to the above measurements.
Demand and Access: Demands reflect the different needs for water, and may include domestic needs, small-scale productive needs, irrigation, industrial or other uses. There will almost certainly be a variety of demands of water in a given constituency.
Access refers to whether people's demands are met by the water sector. Further the water accessed by one individual in a given group will be impacted upon by the access achieved by the other users. In many rural (and urban) settings there will exist a situation where power and wealth will cause inequitable distribution of water resources, and infrastructure. This means that access to water is a political issue. Equitable distribution and access should be considered to be a primary objective in this regard.