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Towards Sustainable Urban Water and Sanitation Services: Barriers and Bridges

Hjorth, Peder LU (2009) In Sustainability 1(4). p.1023-1034
Abstract
The Mar del Plata International Water Conference provided the first global assessment of the water sector. It was found that in most developing countries the state of water supply and sanitation services were deplorable. Consequently, a call for concerted action to improve coverage and efficiency of the water supply and sanitation sector was launched. This call resulted in the International Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981–1990). The Decade provided important lessons concerning effective methodologies to improve the state of the WSS sector. The paper discusses why the poor state of the water supply and sanitation conditions still tend to be the greatest development failure during the 20th century. The recipe for success was there,... (More)
The Mar del Plata International Water Conference provided the first global assessment of the water sector. It was found that in most developing countries the state of water supply and sanitation services were deplorable. Consequently, a call for concerted action to improve coverage and efficiency of the water supply and sanitation sector was launched. This call resulted in the International Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981–1990). The Decade provided important lessons concerning effective methodologies to improve the state of the WSS sector. The paper discusses why the poor state of the water supply and sanitation conditions still tend to be the greatest development failure during the 20th century. The recipe for success was there, and the money was there. So, why were governments and big donors like the World Bank refusing to apply the lessons from the Decade? The basic conditions for success are spelled out, and some successful cases are used to illustrate these. The conclusion is that change is possible but that civil society organizations have to be empowered to make governments "feel the heat" and spend more money on water and sanitation, and to spend it more wisely. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
integrated approaches, water supply, sanitation, sustainable development
in
Sustainability
volume
1
issue
4
pages
1023 - 1034
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:84866426788
ISSN
2071-1050
DOI
10.3390/su1041023
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d54b2797-f0a3-4eae-938c-c92b00b57911 (old id 1503604)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:46:29
date last changed
2022-01-28 02:25:55
@article{d54b2797-f0a3-4eae-938c-c92b00b57911,
  abstract     = {{The Mar del Plata International Water Conference provided the first global assessment of the water sector. It was found that in most developing countries the state of water supply and sanitation services were deplorable. Consequently, a call for concerted action to improve coverage and efficiency of the water supply and sanitation sector was launched. This call resulted in the International Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981–1990). The Decade provided important lessons concerning effective methodologies to improve the state of the WSS sector. The paper discusses why the poor state of the water supply and sanitation conditions still tend to be the greatest development failure during the 20th century. The recipe for success was there, and the money was there. So, why were governments and big donors like the World Bank refusing to apply the lessons from the Decade? The basic conditions for success are spelled out, and some successful cases are used to illustrate these. The conclusion is that change is possible but that civil society organizations have to be empowered to make governments "feel the heat" and spend more money on water and sanitation, and to spend it more wisely.}},
  author       = {{Hjorth, Peder}},
  issn         = {{2071-1050}},
  keywords     = {{integrated approaches; water supply; sanitation; sustainable development}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1023--1034}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Sustainability}},
  title        = {{Towards Sustainable Urban Water and Sanitation Services: Barriers and Bridges}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4158504/1503699}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/su1041023}},
  volume       = {{1}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}