Acces to water in rapidly growing cities of the global souththe case of Arequipa, Peru

Resumen

Ensuring universal access to quality drinking water remains a challenge in most cities around- the world, especially in the fast-growing cities of the Global South. Although reforms in the water sector and the intervention of international organizations in global water policies (Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, and the recognition of the Right to Water and Sanitation by the United Nations) have contributed to significant advances in water coverage and accessibility, one in three people in the world does not have access to drinking water. Furthermore, the lack of safe drinking water poses particular risks for the one billion people living in urban settlements in the Global South. Inequalities in access may be much more significant when considering other dimensions of water access such as availability, water quality, and service provision. For example, in the case of cities in the Global South, progress and success figures for water accessibility are often presented, but these figures say little about the availability of water in households 24 hours a day. While factors such as climate change and rapid urbanization have important implications for water access, this thesis argues that socio-spatial contexts of cities are to a large extent responsible for inequalities in accessibility, affordability, and service provision. This results in cities with a range of water access conditions, which tend to be very favorable for some and unfavorable for other social groups, especially low-income groups. In this regard, the thesis explores how access to water, including affordability, water quality, and service provision, varies in the fast-growing city of Arequipa (Peru). Through surveys in the core and urban periphery of the city (N=721), semi-structured interviews with a set of key stakeholders, and review of secondary data, the work contrasts inequalities of water access in the fast-growing city environment of Arequipa that includes the core (commonly planned area) and urban periphery (partially planned area). The results show that increases in accessibility do not translate necessarily into affordability, quality, and service delivery, especially in the urban periphery. Also, the variety of small-scale providers fulfills an important role in urban areas without access to the public network, but challenges remain in other dimensions of water access. On the other hand, conventional top-down water management approaches are relevant, but their reach may be hampered by socio-spatial differences and the complexities of water supply. Bottom-up water management strategies for water democratization are also emphasized in the thesis such as the efforts made by (in)formal water providers and collective action to secure water supply, in the context of the health emergency caused by Covid-19. In Arequipa, the responses of (in) formal providers contribute significantly to alleviating the water access deficiencies, although some limitations of informal services are also underscored. In any case, greater attention to the functioning of existing networks and recognition of existing efforts can contribute to democratizing the provision of higher quality water for the Arequipa citizens.