The right to water versus cost recovery: participation, urban water supply and the poor in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper reviews the reforms that have directly and indirectly affected water services in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa over the last two decades and discusses the difficulties of reconciling a commitment to universal provision with a market-oriented approach where all those served must pay full costs. It then describes the measures that have been taken that seek to reconcile these, including different forms of "user participation" and greater reliance on informal reselling of water to improve provision to low-income households. This demonstrates how most "participation" is about transferring costs from water companies to low-income households. It also highlights how relying on informal resellers may constrain the extension of better-quality services to low-income neighbourhoods and how community-based schemes fail to raise the capital needed to extend water mains to unserved peripheries. Whilst many participatory schemes can, under certain conditions, help towards the aim of ensuring wider access to water, they are in no way a miracle solution and there is a considerable risk of institutionalizing two-tier services which lock low-income groups into more inconvenient, poorquality services.

Ensuring Sustainable Access to Drinking Water in Sub Saharan Africa: Conflict Between Financial and Social Objectives

“…Similarly, overemphasizing the importance of financial results might push water operators toward big volume customers that ensure high consumption levels (sales) with small investment in distribution (few connections needed), while disregarding the low-volume demand expressed by African poor households (Bakker et al, 2008;Bayliss, 2011). While cross-subsidization among users (Herrera, 2014;Jaglin, 2002) can mitigate these risks, it cannot remove them in the absence of a clear priority for social objectives.…”

“…The pursuit of financial returns, in turn, can conflict with the priority of serving the poor, as described in the qualitative studies reviewed above (Bakker et al, 2008;Bayliss, 2011;Dagdeviren, 2008;Herrera, 2014;Jaglin, 2002). Capital cost recovery tariffs are recognized to be not affordable for 60% of Sub Saharan Africa households (Banerjee & Morella, 2011).…”

“…The technical reports considered (Ballance & Trémolet, 2005;Banerjee et al, 2008) find some correlation between financial and technical performances, and between cost recovery and access, but the evidence provided seems inconclusive. Finally, the qualitative studies reviewed (Bakker et al, 2008;Bayliss, 2011;Dagdeviren, 2008;Herrera, 2014;Jaglin, 2002) highlight the challenges that can prevent cost recovery and its translation into access, and also focus on the incentives for the actors.…”

“…Particular attention is given to studies about countries that are well represented in our sample (see Section 3) and to studies about corporatized utilities, regardless the presence of public-private partnerships. Jaglin (2002) reviews the reforms of water services in urban areas in Sub Saharan Africa, and discusses the difficulties of reconciling a commitment to universal provision with a market-oriented approach where all those served must pay full costs. The paper focuses on users' participation as a measure that has been taken to reconcile these potential conflicting elements.…”

Exploring the challenges and opportunities for master operators and water kiosks under Delegated Management Model (DMM): A study in Lake Victoria region, Kenya

“…Most participatory models of urban service-provision are predicated on the assumption that the poor have the time to attend participatory activities (Jaglin, 2002). But slum dwellers in Africa are typically poor people who survive on piece jobs and/or very small businesses such as street vending.…”