How do improved services to slum areas impact water demand at the city level? Modelling domestic water consumption in Nairobi and Accra
Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out the target of achieving universal access to a basic water supply by 2030. Coupled with explosive population growth in low-income urban areas, this will result in increasing pressure on urban utilities worldwide to enhance levels of access and service to low-income consumers. Alongside the urgent need for water service improvements delivered at scale, water resources in many regions are coming under ever-greater pressure from exogenous factors such as pollution and climate change, making it vital to understand the impacts that planned water supply improvements may have on city-wide water resources.
As part of its 2012-2015 DFID-funded research programme, WSUP aimed to strengthen the support available to utilities in this area by commissioning a modelling study. The study set out to quantify the relative impact of improved water service provision in slum areas within the context of a water basin serving a city. The resulting modelling tool is available on the WSUP website and provides a practical resource for utility managers in projecting the demand implications of specific service improvements in their city.
This Discussion Paper presents the context, methodology, results and conclusions of the study. The results suggest that significant service improvements and associated health benefits might be realised in slum districts with only minimal increases in citywide water demand.
Citation
Purshouse, H.; Roxburgh, N.; Javorszky, M.; Antwi-Agyei, P.; Sleigh, A.; Evans, B. How do improved services to slum areas impact water demand at the city level? Modelling domestic water consumption in Nairobi and Accra. Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), London, UK (2016) 52 pp. [DP#008]
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