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The Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD) has produced continent-wide analysis of many aspects of Africa's infrastructure challenge. The main findings were synthesized in a flagship report titled Africa's Infrastructure: a time for transformation, published in November 2009. Meant for policy makers, that report necessarily focused on the high-level conclusions. It attracted widespread media coverage feeding directly into discussions at the 2009 African Union Commission Heads of State Summit on Infrastructure. Although the flagship report served a valuable role in highlighting the main findings of the project, it could not do full justice to the richness of the data collected and technical analysis undertaken. There was clearly a need to make this more detailed material available to a wider audience of infrastructure practitioners. Hence the idea of producing four technical monographs, such as this one, to provide detailed results on each of the major infrastructure sectors, information and communication technologies (ICT), power, transport, and water, as companions to the flagship report. These technical volumes are intended as reference books on each of the infrastructure sectors. They cover all aspects of the AICD project relevant to each sector, including sector performance, gaps in financing and efficiency, and estimates of the need for additional spending on investment, operations, and maintenance. Each volume also comes with a detailed data appendix, providing easy access to all the relevant infrastructure indicators at the country level, which is a resource in and of itself.

More than 1 billion people around the world live without access to safe, potable water, in part because of poor governance and corruption. Illegal connections and substantial losses caused by deferred maintenance have eroded the revenues of water utilities, leading to a downward spiral in performance. Embezzlement of funds, bribes for access to illegal water connections, manipulation of meter counters, and collusion in public contracts add to the litany of corrupt practices. 'Improving Transparency, Integrity, and Accountability in Water Supply and Sanitation' is a useful tool for diagnosing, analyzing, and remedying systemic corruption in the water supply and sanitation sectors. It will serve as a practical guide for governments; utility regulators, managers, and staff; civil society organizations; contractors; and citizens in their quest for a model of service provision that responds to the pressing needs of people in the developing world. The book aims to increase the involvement of civil society by engaging all stakeholders in setting priorities and monitoring performance; help water and sanitation delivery contribute to poverty reduction by increasing the service quality and coverage provided by service delivery organizations to poorer communities on an equitable basis; provide a tool that promotes the financial sustainability of service delivery organizations, thus building stakeholders' confidence in those institutions' ability to expand and improve service; and raise ethical standards among all stakeholders, especially service delivery organizations, thereby instilling a sense of public service in these organizations.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Environmental degradation, especially that related to water, has the potential to result in an unhealthy life. Humans drinkable water for basic needs, but poor water quality can cause disease. One of the solutions of households to obtain drinkable water is to subscribe to water companies. This study presents the notion of community engagement related to urban drinkable water supply, specifically by examining the willingness of community members to pay for such services in response to environmental pressures.METHODS: This study used purposive sampling methods to determine the value of willingness to pay, identified challenges in the community through a questionnaire on drinkable water in Jakarta, Indonesia, and conducted estimation using ordinary least squares. This research used a sample of 503 households in Jakarta.FINDINGS: The coefficient values of the control variables, namely, daily income (0.448), education level (4.344), and age (628.1), exhibited a positive correlation and statistically significant impact. Results indicate a positive and statistically significant association between the coefficient values of the variables of interest, namely, water quality (8.663) and water source (21.248), in willingness to pay for drinkable water. A one-unit increase in the coefficient score impacts the willingness to pay value, measured in Indonesian rupiahs. Findings indicate that the majority of the respondents expressed readiness to pay for drinkable water valued below 100,000 Indonesian rupiah per month, which is equivalent to under 6.30 United States Dollars. The suggested strategies for addressing the diverse issues encompass the necessity of implementing structural reforms involving the engagement of local leaders to enhance empowerment. This approach holds promise for effectively resolving the drinkable water crisis. Technical effort in shaping the behavior of urban communities in using and appreciating water is also essential to sustain the environment.CONCLUSION: Environmental contamination issues have become a reason for households to subscribe to water companies. Customers are willing to pay to obtain clean and potable water. This study is essential as a basis for formulating policies that can be used by drinkable water companies regarding community members’ ability to pay for water, preferences, and participation in protecting the environment.

As China transitions to a market economy, municipal utilities are evolving into commercially viable companies under government oversight. Great challenges confront the reform process for China's water utilities, including rapid urbanization and emerging inequality, coupled with severe water scarcity and degradation. Cities and their water utilities must provide services within a complex mosaic of policies and regulations provided by national and provincial governments. In China, as throughout the world, water is also a sensitive political issue. Governments are keen to provide good water service, but also attuned to the need to ensure that tariffs are socially acceptable. This report presents a strategic framework and set of recommendations for addressing these challenges and accelerating improvements in China's urban water utilities. Drawing upon the World Bank's experience in China, as well as the Bank's global knowledge, the report provides a comprehensive assessment of urban water services, including policy, regulatory, institutional, financial, and technical issues. The report will prove a valuable resource for policy makers, utility companies, and anyone interested in the development of the world's largest water market.

Water availability is an important aspect of life. With the increasing number of humans with the same water cycle, it is possible that water scarcity will occur, including in Bandung City, especially in Jatisari Village, Buahbatu District. Public awareness and regulation of water use are required. This study aims to analyze the influence of environmental communication on community behavior with the intervening variable of cognitive dissonance in household water use in Jatisari Village; explore environmental communication carried out and what the obstacles are; and also explore the scope of water policies in Bandung City. This study uses a mixed method with analysis using SPSS 25 and ATLAS.ti 23.1. The results of the Sobel test showed that the mediation coefficient of 0.0288 was significant, which means that cognitive dissonance has significant mediating influence in the relationship between environmental communication and perceptions for behavioral change. Meanwhile, environmental communication in Bandung City Government and non-Bandung City Government to maintain the sustainability of water has shown collaboration involving various stakeholders. Although there is much progress, there are still obstacles that need to be overcome, especially in coordination between actors and increasing public awareness. Also, six policies on water were found but showed that there is no policy that specifically regulates water conservation, water distribution, and limits on water use to support water availability. This is likely due to the absence of parameters that can convince the government to make policies on water conservation, for example, through the Water Scarcity Assessment Index.

Water quality surveillance can help to reduce waterborne diseases. Despite better access to safe drinking water in Sierra Leone, about a third of the population (3 million people) drink water from unimproved sources. In this cross-sectional study, we collected water samples from 15 standpipes and 5 wells and measured the physicochemical and bacteriological water quality, and the antimicrobial sensitivity of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in two communities in Freetown, Sierra Leone in the dry and wet seasons in 2021. All water sources were contaminated with E. coli, and all five wells and 25% of standpipes had at least an intermediate risk level of E. coli. There was no antimicrobial resistance detected in the E. coli tested. The nitrate level exceeded the WHO’s recommended standard (>10 parts per million) in 60% of the wells and in less than 20% of the standpipes. The proportion of samples from standpipes with high levels of total dissolved solids (>10 Nephelometric Turbidity Units) was much higher in the rainy season (73% vs. 7%). The level of water contamination is concerning. We suggest options to reduce E. coli contamination. Further research is required to identify where contamination of the water in standpipes is occurring.

Fifteen percent of the total volume produced is lost, which has become a major problem for water resource management in Algeria. The number of high leakages reduces the performance of the drinking water supply network. The disturbance of the drinking water supply observed by the citizens resulted from several incidents occurring mainly on the axis of production or distribution (e.g., breakage, leakage, pollution, electrical problems, and drought). To manage these incidents and for water distribution monitoring in the high-level strategic plan, monitoring and control software was developed for the Algerian Water Company (ADE). This software is an essential tool that helps managers of water resources to monitor the water supply situation throughout the national territory to ameliorate water public services. This dynamic software has been in use since 2016.

Purpose This paper aims to explore why a country with significant under-investment in water infrastructure has not successfully imposed domestic water charges. Drawing on an economization lens, it examines how an economy emerged in the imposition of water charges but was subsequently hidden due to their politically motivated suspension. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on documentary evidence, a theoretically informed examination of the “economization” process is set out. This examination recognizes the central role sustainability plays in water management but illustrates how sustainability must be integrated with environmental, social, economic, cultural and political factors. Findings The findings set out the challenges experienced by a state-owned water company as they attempt to manage domestic water charges. The paper reveals that while the suspension of water charges has hidden the “economy” within government subvention, the economic and sustainable imperative to invest in and pay for water remains, but is enveloped within a political “hot potato” bringing about a quasi-political/quasi-economic landscape. Practical implications The findings demonstrate how the effective and sustainable management of domestic water supply requires collaboration between multiple participants, including the government, the European Union, private citizens and the water protest movement. Social implications While highlighting the challenges faced by a country that has seriously under-invested in its water resources, the paper reflects the societal consequences of charging individuals for water, raising important questions about what water actually is – a right, a product or a political object. Originality/value Showing how an economy around domestic water supply in Ireland was revealed, but subsequently hidden in “the political”, the paper illustrates how sustainability is as much about economics and politics as it is about ecological balance and natural resources.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Environmental degradation, especially that related to water, has the potential to result in an unhealthy life. Humans drinkable water for basic needs, but poor water quality can cause disease. One of the solutions of households to obtain drinkable water is to subscribe to water companies. METHODS: This study presents the notion of community engagement related to urban drinkable water supply, specifically by examining the willingness of community members to pay for such services in response to environmental pressures. This study used purposive sampling methods to determine the value of willingness to pay, identified challenges in the community through a questionnaire on drinkable water in Jakarta, Indonesia, and conducted estimation using ordinary least squares. This research used a sample of 503 households in Jakarta. FINDINGS: The coefficient values of the control variables, namely, daily income (0.448), education level (4.344), and age (628.1), exhibited a positive correlation and statistically significant impact. Results indicate a positive and statistically significant association between the coefficient values of the variables of interest, namely, water quality (8.663) and water source (21.248), in willingness to payfor drinkable water. A one-unit increase in the coefficient score impacts the willingness to pay value, measured in Indonesian rupiahs. Findings indicate that the majority of the respondents expressed readiness to pay for drinkable water valued below 100,000 Indonesian rupiah per month, which is equivalent to under 6.30 United States Dollars. The suggested strategies for addressing the diverse issues encompass the necessity of implementing structural reforms involving the engagement of local leaders to enhance empowerment. This approach holds promise for effectively resolving the drinkable water crisis. Technical effort in shaping the behavior of urban communities in using and appreciating water is also essential to sustain the environment. CONCLUSION: Environmental contamination issues have become a reason for households to subscribe to water companies. Customers are willing to pay to obtain clean and potable water. This study is essential as a basis for formulating policies that can be used by drinkable water companies regarding community members' ability to pay for water, preferences, and participation in protecting the environment.

In monopoly services that provide drinking water, it is of paramount importance to evaluate the total factor productivity (TFP) change of water companies. Most of the previous studies have computed the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) by applying non-parametric methods. By contrast, following a pioneering approach, in this study, we estimated the MPI using a parametric method that allows us to decompose TFP change into a larger number of drivers, including exogenous and quality of service variables. An empirical application for the Chilean water industry over 2007–2015 was conducted. We found that productivity change estimates were variable across years, differentiating a first period (2007/11) in which productivity declined and a second period (2011/15) in which TFP notably improved. In both periods, scale efficiency change and input mixed effect were the main drivers of productivity change, illustrating the importance of operation scale in water companies’ performance. The decomposition of the TFP change in a large number of drivers is essential to propose incentives and measures to promote productivity across time.