Access to Water and Inequalities in Addis Ababa - IPORA - Interdisciplinary Policy-Oriented Research on Africa

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Explore the inequalities in water access in Addis Ababa: understanding how economic status impacts water availability despite high connection rates to the citys water network.

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$1,000

Goal

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Summary :
- Context and justification

The water sector is at the heart of the fight against poverty and socio-economic development in developing countries in general and Ethiopia in particular. Increasing urbanization, rising incomes, and growing industrialization have boosted the demand for clean water. On the supply side, there are constraints partly due to climate change, and therefore there is competition for this resource. Water has remained a priority sector for the government over the past three decades, with a focus on water for domestic services. Consequently, the sub-sector of water, sanitation, and hygiene has received comparatively more attention from the Ethiopian government and its development partners. Although significant progress has been made in the field of water, sanitation, and hygiene, this sub-sector remains a matter of concern. Ethiopia and its citizens still face multiple water-related challenges. With an estimated population of 5.4 million, Addis Ababa is the countrys largest city. It is the political, cultural, and economic capital of Ethiopia. Compared to other regions of the country, residents of Addis Ababa seem to have better access to potable water. According to some reports, the potable water access rate in Addis Ababa is over 95%, while the national average is around 50%. However, with the citys geographic expansion, the development of improved houses that consume more water, the expansion of industry and the service sector, access to water is becoming increasingly limited.

In this study, we argue that being connected to Addis Ababas water network does not in itself guarantee access to water. Households access to water is increasingly determined by their economic status (power). Therefore, the issue of unequal access to water in Addis Ababa should be examined within the framework of a political economy approach. We also argue that the unreliability of water access in Addis Ababa has led to new modes of water access that reinforce inequality and could have adverse effects on the health and well-being of the citys residents.

Objective

The main objective of the research is to examine what appears to be a growing inequality of access to water in Addis Ababa using a multidisciplinary approach. A better understanding of the growing inequality in water access in the city will contribute to the development of sustainable and socially just water resource management strategies in Addis Ababa.

Main Methods

The study will be interdisciplinary and will involve a number of disciplines, including economics, geography, political science, and health. Regarding data, we will use both primary and secondary data. Primary data will be collected through a survey of selected households, interviews with key informants, and discussions with focus groups (FGD). Secondary data consists of published and unpublished works, governmental reports, and more.