The problems of supplying water to third world cities: Bulawayo's water crisis

Abstract

The current drought in central and southern Africa has focused attention on issues relating to the provision and supply of potable water. In the case of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city, there is the very real prospect that water supplies may be exhausted before the onset of the next rainy season. This paper explores the background to this problem and shows how poor planning, financial constraints, and political intransigence have failed to keep pace with a policy aimed at the provision of water to the inhabitants in this expanding urban environment Alternative sources of supply. in particular a pipeline to the Zambezi River, are also investigated.

Notes

The authors are grateful to various officials in the Bulawayo City Council and Zimbabwe government for their assistance. Credit for cartographic work is due to the staff of the Cartographic Unit in the Department of Geography at Rhodes University. The financial assistance of Rhodes University through a research grant is also acknowledged by Mr Nel.

Lecturer, Geography Department. Rhodes University, Grahamstown.

Specialist, Regional Economic Policy Unit, Development Bank of Southern Africa.