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Urban‐rural water access inequalities in Malawi: implications for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals
Author(s) -
Adams Ellis A.,
Smiley Sarah L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/1477-8947.12150
Subject(s) - inequality , environmental planning , sustainable development , corporate governance , rural area , business , universal design , geography , water resource management , economic growth , environmental resource management , political science , environmental science , economics , computer science , mathematical analysis , mathematics , law , finance , world wide web
Urban‐rural inequalities in water access constitute one of the major obstacles to achieving universal water coverage. In Sub‐Saharan Africa, these inequalities have persisted for decades. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seek to achieve universal access to safely managed water, which requires that an improved source be located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. This paper draws on empirical evidence from household surveys in peri‐urban and rural Malawi to examine urban‐rural differences in access to safely managed water. The paper highlights issues with the SDGs’ definition and monitoring indicators and outlines lessons for improving water access given existing inequalities between urban and rural areas. It concludes by arguing that a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to governance, monitoring, and planning cannot eliminate inequalities in water access, especially between urban and rural areas.