Human Water Governance: A Social Innovation Model to Reduce the Inequalities of Water Services in South African Informal Settlements

Abstract

South Africa’s water policy has been criticised as an inefficient instrument to achieve the social goals of appropriately redistributing water in informal settlements. Growing global water challenges have demonstrated that Traditional Water Management methodologies based on improving the material conditions of impoverished informal settlements are not robust enough to tackle the constant emerging water challenges. Although several calls for more integrated water resources management appear in respect of global water governance highlighting the new social value and human rights, they are simply not enough to meet the needs and priorities of local informal settlements. Beyond Traditional water management and social and environmental water governance, it is important to develop not only management aspects but also the individuals themselves. An ethical view of managing water policies through social innovation has been addressed by meeting social needs in communities, which provide a new view of water management called Human Water Governance. It not only provides equal opportunities and innovative abilities to manage water but also analyses the impact of UNESCO principles in South African informal communities. Through Smart PLS, we tested 124 informal dwellers with a twofold purpose: (1) To measure the level of importance that the community gives to access to water services, and (2) To set up a water utilisation model for impoverished informal settlements that can be applied to other communities all over the world.