Are urban informal communities capable of co-production? The influence of community-public partnerships on water access in Lilongwe, Malawi

《Are urban informal communities capable of co-production? The influence of community-public partnerships on water access in Lilongwe, Malawi》

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关键字: community-public partnerships; co-production; Lilongwe; Malawi; urban informal settlements; water access; water user associations; DAR-ES-SALAAM; NATURAL-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SERVICE DELIVERY; COLLECTIVE ACTION; COMMON PROPERTY; PARTICIPATION; AFFORDABILI

作者单位: [Adams, Ellis Adjei] Georgia State Univ, Global Studies Inst, 25 Pk Pl 1819,18th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30302 USA. [Boateng, Godfred Odei] Northwestern Univ, Dept Anthropol & Global Hlth, Evanston, IL 60208 USA. Adams, EA (reprint author), Georgia State Univ, Global Studies Inst, 25 Pk Pl 1819,18th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30302 USA. E-Mail: eadams23@gsu.edu; godfred.boateng@northwestern.edu

摘要: The failure of the conventional public and private (market-based) water policies to improve urban water access in the global South has prompted growing interest in alternative models such as community-state co-production. However, there is little evidence of whether co-production can improve water service delivery in the informal settlements of sub-Saharan Africa where a disproportionately high percentage of the urban poor lives. This paper uses household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus groups to examine the impact of co-production on household water access and service delivery in the informal settlements of Lilongwe, Malawi. Co-production increased water accessibility, reduced the cost of water, increased the number of community water kiosks, and resulted in more effective financial management and accountability. However, challenges related to poor infrastructure and limited community capacity threaten the long-term sustainability of the co-production model. Urban informal residents lamented worsening water-supply interruptions and longer waiting times after co-production, challenges that require state intervention.