Unaffordable and Undrinkable: Rethinking Urban Water Access in the Global South

This research paper by the World Resources Institute argues that global indicators from UNICEF and the WHO overestimate urban water access in the global south. Based on an analysis of 15 cities, the paper finds that nearly half of households lack piped utility water, leading them to rely on private sources that are significantly more expensive. It critiques the corporatization and privatization of water utilities and proposes four action areas—extending piped networks, addressing intermittent service, improving affordability for low-income users, and upgrading informal settlements—to ensure equitable access amidst challenges like climate change and population growth.

• Global indicators used by UNICEF and the World Health Organization overestimate the state of water access in the global south. An analysis of 15 cities reveals that nearly half of all households still lack access to piped utility water.
• Piped utility water is generally the most affordable option, whereas households without such access rely on self-provision or private vendors, which can be up to 50 to 52 times more expensive than public water.
• Even for households connected to municipal piped systems, reliability is a major issue; in 12 of the 15 cities analyzed, service was intermittent, which leads to water contamination and compromised quality.
• Efforts to corporatize water utilities and increase private sector involvement in water provision have failed to adequately improve access for under-served urban populations and have led to the neglect of reliability and affordability.
• To improve equitable access to water in the face of population growth and climate change, the paper recommends four key actions: extending formal piped networks, solving causes of intermittent service, implementing affordability strategies for low-income consumers, and upgrading informal settlements.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Unaffordable and Undrinkable: Rethinking Urban Water Access in the Global South. https://www.wri.org/research/unaffordable-and-undrinkable-rethinking-urban-water-access-global-south

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Unaffordable and Undrinkable: Rethinking Urban Water Access in the Global South. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/unaffordable-and-undrinkable-rethinking-urban-water-access-global-south.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Unaffordable and Undrinkable: Rethinking Urban Water Access in the Global South |url=https://www.wri.org/research/unaffordable-and-undrinkable-rethinking-urban-water-access-global-south |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendunaffordable, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Unaffordable and Undrinkable: Rethinking Urban Water Access in the Global South}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/unaffordable-and-undrinkable-rethinking-urban-water-access-global-south}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }