Publication: Private Operators and Rural Water Supplies : A Desk Review of Experience
Date
2010-11
ISSN
Published
2010-11
Author(s)
Kleemeier, Elizabeth L.
Abstract
This study examines experiences with
using the private sector to manage domestic water supplies
serving dispersed populations or very small settlements in
rural areas. The potential contribution from private
operators is well-known for small towns. The unanswered
question is whether private operators are an option for more
remote rural areas with low population density. This review
therefore focused on operations that: 1) serve dispersed
populations or settlements with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants
in rural areas, 2) have been undertaken on a significant
scale, and 3) engage individuals or for-profit organizations
to manage water supplies. The rationale for examining rural
private operator models is twofold: sustainability and
expanded access. First, rural private operators may offer a
solution to the high rates of nonfunctioning water points,
especially in rural Africa. Second, private operator models
may enable governments to leverage private capital and
rationalize government subsidies for rural domestic water
infrastructure. Those capacities would enable governments,
in turn, to expand access to safe rural domestic water supplies.
Citation
“Kleemeier, Elizabeth L.. 2010. Private Operators and Rural Water Supplies : A Desk Review of Experience. Water papers;. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17248 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”