Water and sanitation in urban Malawi:
Research Report
Water and sanitation in urban Malawi:: Can the Millennium Development Goals be met? A study of informal settlements in three cities
Mtafu A. Zeleza Manda
Copyright Date: Aug. 1, 2009
Published by: International Institute for Environment and Development
Pages: 87
OPEN ACCESS
https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep01264
Table of Contents
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-ii)
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. iii-iv)
  3. Abbreviations and acronyms
    Abbreviations and acronyms (pp. v-v)
  4. SUMMARY
    SUMMARY (pp. vi-ix)
  5. 1 Introduction
    1 Introduction (pp. 1-9)

    Malawi is one of the least urbanized nations in Africa, with a total population of 13.1 million in 2008, up from 10 million in 1998. Only about 20% of the national population lives in areas classified as urban. However, with growth rates estimated at between 4.7% and 6.3% per year, the country is among the world’s fastest urbanizing. The urban population increased by 63% between 1987 and 1998 (as shown in Table 1). The national population growth is also very rapid, at 2.8% per year, forcing many rural dwellers to urban settlements in search of a better life. As a...

  6. 2 Study methodology
    2 Study methodology (pp. 9-16)

    The study on which this paper is based was conducted in Malawi’s three largest cities: Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu. Three types of low-income community were chosen: planned areas that had become slums, typical squatter settlements and settlements developed through community initiative. One each of these types of settlement was selected in each city, making a total of nine study areas.

    The areas of community initiative are those developed by the Malawi Homeless People’s Federation (MHPF). This is a coalition of savings groups formed by the urban poor communities to find solutions primarily to their housing problems. The linking of such...

  7. 3 Study results and discussion
    3 Study results and discussion (pp. 16-63)

    The main bodies responsible for the provision of water supply in Malawi are the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development (MIWD), the water boards and city assemblies. The main institutions responsible for sanitation are MIWD, city assemblies and the Ministry of Health and Population. However, water supply and sanitation are also provided by civil-society organizations and international donors who set up and fund their own water and sanitation projects.

    The roles and inter-relationships of the various players are not well coordinated with regard to investment planning, project implementation and operation. Specifically, local governments are mandated by the Local Government Act...

  8. 4 Recommendations
    4 Recommendations (pp. 63-64)

    In order to make meaningful progress in the water and sanitation sector in urban Malawi, the following recommendations may be useful.

    1 There is a need for national consensus on the definition of adequate and safe access to water and sanitation, so that all actors focus on the same agreed targets and indicators.

    2 Public awareness on water and sanitation linkages in low-income areas should be emphasized and incorporated in all development initiatives for maximum public health benefits. The introduction of water and sanitation in schools requires follow-up on aspects of practice, perhaps through practical exercises rather than information alone....

  9. ANNEXES
    ANNEXES (pp. 65-70)
  10. REFERENCES
    REFERENCES (pp. 71-73)
  11. Recent publications by IIED’s Human Settlements Group
    Recent publications by IIED’s Human Settlements Group (pp. 74-78)