Thirsty slums in African cities: household water insecurity in urban informal settlements of Lilongwe, Malawi

ABSTRACT

Over 70% of Malawi’s urban population lives in informal settlements, where households regularly face chronic water insecurity. This article utilizes mixed methods – household surveys (N = 645), field observations, focus groups and interviews – to examine household water insecurity in three urban informal settlements of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital and largest city. The study finds that water insecurity arises from overdependence on communal water kiosks which are insufficient in number, have high nonfunctional rates, are prone to vandalism, and provide water irregularly; lack of alternative improved water sources; and a significant time burden due to long waiting times and multiple trips to water sources. The findings underscore why water insecurity in Africa’s urban informal settlements deserves urgent policy attention.

KEYWORDS:

• Malawi
• potable water access
• sub-Saharan Africa
• water insecurity
• Lilongwe
• urban informal settlements
• water kiosks

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Erin Marie King Haacker for designing study area map and providing useful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. Special thanks also to Dr Leo Zulu and three anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on the article. All views expressed, however, are my own.