The Political Economy of Water and Sanitation Services in Colombia

Abstract

Adequate domestic water supply and sanitation (WSS) services are a crucial element for escaping poverty. Lacking access to these services is one important factor causing infectious diseases and decreasing the productivity of house-holds. During the last decade the academic and political debate on WSS reform has focused on the polemic issue of private versus public ownership of service providers. The paper argues that this focus is too narrow to explain success or failure in the delivery of WSS services. Instead, the paper shifts the attention towards the role of governance and explores the influence of governance issues on WSS services for the case of Colombia. Achieving broad access to good-quality and low-cost services presupposes a complex mix of poverty- and efficiency-oriented WSS policies. Therefore, the political and administrative governance which shapes the actions of the main actors involved (politicians, regulators, private and public service providers, and users) has a relevant effect on the poverty-orientation and the efficiency of service delivery.