Applied systems analysis in water access for emerging human settlements: a case study of Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

Water is a vital resource required to sustain life yet citizens do not always have access to portable water. We argue that urban water systems are complex dynamic systems consisting flows and feedbacks that disrupt or enhance their function. We employed the mixed-method research design grounded in phenomenological and survey approaches. The applied systems analysis methodology enabled analysis of data through development of causal-loop diagrams and the examination of leverage points to explore the water system for Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe. The findings reveal that funding, lack of accountability and politics of difference are among the major reasons for the citizens’ lack of access to potable water in Hopley as evidence from the results that show that 19% (n = 87) access water from unprotected wells while 40% (n = 180) lamented that the water is not reliable. The study makes a methodological contribution that brings to attention the leverage points in this water system.

KEYWORDS:

• Applied systems analysis
• emerging human settlement
• Hopley Farm
• Harare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

HOUSEHOLD AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

Sex

Age

Occupation

Education level

Marital status

Type of housing ownership

Average family income

WATER SUPPLY

1. What is the main source of household water supply?

2. How often do you access water?

3. How far is this main source of water from your house?

4. How long does it take to go there, get water and come back?

5. How is the water supply service in terms of the following?

Quality, colour, taste, pressure, reliability

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH RESIDENTS

1. Can you please provide a brief biography of yourself?

2. When did you come to Hopley?

3. Please take me through your lived experiences in accessing water since you moved to Hopley up to this day?

4. What challenges if any do you face in accessing water?

5. As a resident of Hopley, what do you expect from the local authority (City of Harare)?

6. Given everything you have shared, if you had the opportunity to talk with the local authorities, what is something you would want them to know?

Guide D: ENGINEERS FROM HARARE WATER

1. What is the role and mandate of your department in emerging settlements?

2. What role did the department play in the provision of basic services in Hopley?

3. How does the current planning system impact on the provision of basic services in emerging settlements?

4. What challenges does the local authority face in providing basic services in emerging settlements with special reference to Hopley?

5. What measures are put in places to ameliorate these challenges?

Guide A: LOCAL AUTHORITIES

1. What policies or plans have been instrumental in guiding the planning and development of Hopley Settlement?

2. Do you have a Land use planning scheme that covers Hopley?

3. What policies, institutions, processes and factors have influenced the development of Hopley?

4. Explain the process for planning and developing emerging human settlements.

5. Who is responsible for basic service provision in Hopley, with special reference to water?

6. What challenges have you been experiencing in supplying water in Hopley?

7. How has the local authority addressed these challenges?

Guide B: URBAN PLANNING EXPERTS

1. What explains the increase in emerging human settlements in Harare?

2. How should the authorities address the current urban dilemmas with regard to citizens’ access to water?

3. In your opinion what are the policy gaps with regard to the planning of emerging human settlements and access to basic services such as water?

4. Describe the role played by authorities, politicians and residents in planning providing basic services in emerging settlements such as Hopley.

5. How can authorities enforce planning regulations in emerging human settlements in light of citizens’ access to water?

Notes

1. The master plan prepared to guide the spatial development for Harare.

2. Operation Garikai is a government initiated programme which was a direct response to Operation Murambatsvina. Through Operation Garikai, the victims of Operation Murambatsvina were to be housed and various settlements were therefore established throughout the country, with plans to construct 15 000 housing units and also factory shells and market stalls. Approximately US$300 million was budgeted for this operation (Chipungu and Adebayo 2013, 388).

3. The Yamane formula for calculating the sample (n) constitutes the target population (N), and the level of precision or sampling error (e) which are as presented in the formula below:

$\mathrm{n}=\frac{N}{1+N{(e)}^2}$.

4. The ethical clearance number is UFS-HSD2017/0808.

5. The major opposition political party in Zimbabwe which was formed in 2000 and has gained prominence in urban areas.