Policy Note: Policy Responses to Ensure Access to Water and Sanitation Services During COVID-19: Snapshots from the Environment for Development (EfD) Network

Abstract

This policy note provides a snapshot of water and sanitation measures implemented by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 14 countries in the Global South: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Panama, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam. We find that many countries have taken action to stop utility disconnections due to non-payment. With the exception of Ghana and Vietnam, few countries are instituting new water subsidy programs, and are instead choosing to defer customers’ bills for future payment, presumably when the pandemic recedes and households will be able to pay their bills. It is easier for the utilities’ COVID-relief policies to target customers with piped connections who regularly receive bills. However, the situation for unconnected households appears more dire. Some countries (e.g., Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda) are attempting to provide unconnected households temporary access to water, but these households remain the most vulnerable. This health crisis has accentuated the importance of strong governance structures and resilient water service providers for dealing with external health, environmental and economic shocks.

COVID-19 and handwashing: Implications for water use in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…To ensure that water is affordable to all, some governments in Africa at the peak of the pandemic have provided subsidies on water utility. For example, the government of Ghana absorbed all water bills for all Ghanaians from April 2020 to January 2021 [ 66 ]. For households with no home connection to water, the government supplied water to their homes.…”

Responsiveness of water-sector regulation in Brazil to the Covid-19 pandemic: A view through the human rights lens

“…Water and sanitation services cannot withstand the same disruptions as other sectors without worsening a public-health crisis ( Gude and Muire, 2021 ; Sowby, 2020 ). The SARS-CoV-2 crisis has accentuated the importance of effective and reliable water and sanitation governance structures and resilient water and sanitation utilities ( Amaechina et al, 2020 ). Brazilian regulatory authorities should contribute to = preparedness and resilience in the water sector by focusing on emergencies, seeking a balance between utility operation and maintenance, and ensuring affordability ( Gude and Muire, 2021 ; OHCHR, 2017 ).…”

Impact of covid-19 pandemic on investments in the water sector in Kenya

“…Some studies have concentrated on the role of Covid-19 in bringing out the gaps in water supply, the increased demand and the need for an integrated approach in water management (Sivakumar, 2021). Others have been done on the policy interventions undertaken by different countries across the globe (Amaechina et al, 2020;Sivakumar, 2021). According to Sivakumar (2021), water researchers and practitioners alike need to find solutions to sustainable water storage and distribution infrastructure development; this is an awakening brought about by covid-19 pandemic.…”

“…According to Sivakumar (2021), water researchers and practitioners alike need to find solutions to sustainable water storage and distribution infrastructure development; this is an awakening brought about by covid-19 pandemic. While a number of studies have done in Kenya linking Covid-19 to water and sanitation activities, most of the studies have however focused on the availability of water for hand washing and other domestic use in low income areas (Donde et al, 2021;Amaechina et al, 2020) From the foregoing, most studies undertaken on the influence of Covid-19 pandemic have concentrated on its effect on SDGs (Ezeh et al, 2020;Filho et al, 2020;van Zanten & van Tulder, 2020). The few studies that have been done linking covid-19 and water has been done while considering the influence of the pandemic on the supply of water (Butler et al, 2020); and its influence on the revenue earning capacity of the water utilities (Butler et al, 2020).…”