Can ISO 9001 certification of water utilities in developing countries be used to evaluate institutional sustainability?

Provision of reliable water services is critical for sustainable development. Next year (2015), the United Nations will review achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Based on previous trends, The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme estimates that about 700 million people will not have access to safe drinking water in 2015. During the post-2015 era, urban water utilities in less developed regions of the world will face greater challenges in extending and sustainably providing water services, where, it is projected, the urban population will increase from 2.57 billion in 2010, to 3.95 billion in 2030 (UN-Habitat, 2010). Consistent with various scholars, we argue in this paper that there can be no sustainable development in any sector without the support of effective and sustainable institutions. [Continues.]