Improving water utility management and performance in developing countries

Public urban water utilities in developing countries share enormous challenges in meeting the water needs of their growing urban populations as a result of poor utility management practice. This article summarizes the results of a project initiated by the African Water Utility Partnership (WUP), supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) which has pioneered a successful partnership between Severn Trent Water International, the Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) and six African water utilities. Important policy lessons emerged from this innovative partnership approach to utility management improvement and opportunities were identified for scaling up these approaches to other utilities.