Blaise, Kalamba and Gumbo, Trynos (2022) Assessing Urban Water Security in the City of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo: a Quantitative Analysis. Mobility, Knowledge and Innovation Hubs in Urban and Regional Development. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2022, 27th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 89-99. ISSN 2521-3938
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Text (Assessing Urban Water Security in the City of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo: a Quantitative Analysis)
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Abstract
Access to urban clean and potable water has been one of the major priorities, as cities pursue and seek to achieve sustainable development goals worldwide. Globally, urban water insecurity is a threat faced by the majority, however, residents of cities in the developing world; particularly low income households are the most affected and are in severe despair. Notwithstanding the abundance of surface and underground fresh water and also efforts by local governments to improve urban water provision, urban clean water accessibility remains a pipe dream for the majority of urban dwellers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Currently, very little is documented and known about the levels of water service delivery and coverage in DRC cities. Consequently, this paper assesses water security, specifically focusing on the state of water supply and water management. A case study research design was adopted to investigate the level of water supply in Lubumbashi the second largest city in the DRC. The work also applied a quantitative research approach and questionnaires were administered to gather data on water availability, water accessibility and other variables. A Survey Monkey was applied to gather data from four hundred and eleven participants and the data was analysed using categorical aggregation and content analysis. Findings reveal that inadequate access to clean and potable water is mainly caused by shortages of the hydraulic networks within the population of the city and the inefficient water distribution by the local government. From the study it is also evident that low income households face severe water stress since they totally rely on the municipality water provision and cannot afford to have boreholes. Furthermore, it is clear that households with no pipes in their yards have to walk to their neighbouring houses to have access to clean water. The study also highlights that the city of Lubumbashi is under severe urban water distress and is far from achieving sustainable development goals related to access to clean water for all. In conclusion, it is recommended that an adequate inclusive planning and a methodological approach at the municipality level must be adopted and implemented as a matter of urgency in order to achieve efficient and adequate water provisions to its residents. There is also need to promote awareness in order to improve water security as efforts are made to provide viable suggestions which in turn improve water provision in the city and promote and achieve sustainable urban development in the DRC in the city of Lubumbashi. . The study identified and assessed the undesirable access conditions to clean water by the households.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Water Security, Urban Water, Sustainable Development, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Depositing User: | The CORP Team |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Nov 2022 18:22 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Dec 2022 14:09 |
| URI: | http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/906 |
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