Infrastructure Provision in Poor Countries

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at experiences in providing basic services, such as transport, water and sewerage to the urban poor in the developing world. It looks at the various ways in which urban authorities attempt to raise funds for improvements, such as privatization versus state ownership. The emphasis these days is on 'participation' by local people in the provision of services that they benefit from. Examples are given of public, private and participatory provision of essential services.

From the Paper:

"One of the most significant of all postwar demographic phenomena and the one that will be of major concern in the future is the rapid growth of cities in developing countries. The developing world is being transformed from a world of villages to a world of towns and cities. In 1960 less than 22% of the population of low and middle income countries was urban. By 2020 it is estimated that more than half of the population of developing countries will be urban (World Bank: 1995). This enormous growth over the past fifty years has and will continue to place enormous strain on the infrastructure and general services within developed countries. Former World Bank President Robert McNamara expressed his scepticism that huge urban agglomerations could be made to work at all: "These sizes are such that any economies of location are dwarfed by costs of congestion. The rapid population growth that has produced them will have far outpaced the growth of human and physical infrastructure needed for even moderately efficient economic life and orderly political and social relationships, let alone amenity for their residents" (Todaro: 1997: 8). Research increasingly suggests that the problem is not just a lack of resources, but that the resources available are used inefficiently. Here we will discuss experience of infrastructure provision under various systems of administration and planning."

More papers on Infrastructure Provision in Poor Countries:

• Research Paper # 132903 : "Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative"
• Term Paper # 103016 : "The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative"
• Article Review # 114875 : "Trade and Poverty in the Poor Countries"

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