Contextualizing Sustainable Development for Small Scale Water and Sanitation Systems in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Abstract

Water and sanitation are pressing issues for the urban poor in Bolivia where the lack of safe water and sanitation services contributes to urban poverty. This paper defines sustainable development (SD) in relation to small scale water and sanitation systems in the metropolitan area of Cochabamba, Bolivia. A case study on the water and sanitation systems of two housing cooperatives is performed. By involving all the concerned stakeholders this study aims to identify a contextualized definition of SD, which can be used in order to assess and steer the development of small scale water and sanitation systems in the metropolitan area of Cochabamba. The identified definition consists of the following criteria, referred to as key issues: social context, socio-political factors, target group, freshwater resources, economic obstacles, reproducibility, knowledge, management, reliability, water quality and disposal. Three main challenges are identified to have had major influence on the contextualization of the SD concept: which stakeholders that are included, how the differing opinions among the stakeholders are addressed and how active the stakeholders are in the development process.