TyCo-WSS

TYCO-WSS systematically addresses the costs and benefits of these community-based solutions for the delivery of water services. It combines socio-spatial analysis and participatory mapping methods to understand how these arrangements evolve over time, in line with environmental, urban, and socio-political transformations.

The involvement of local communities in the delivery of water is increasingly acknowledged as a possible alternative to conventional networks. This is especially the case in rapidly growing cities of the Global South. These initiatives may help to address inequalities in the service distribution within cities. When facilitated by state operators, they may contribute to an empowerment of citizens and their involvement in the management of public goods.

Small water networks operated by local communities are not always sustainable from an economic, social, or environmental point of view. This is especially the case when wastewater is not treated. These networks may also fuel the growth of informal settlements in inadequate locations.

TYCO-WSS systematically addresses the costs and benefits of these community-based solutions for the delivery of water. It is based on a socio-spatial analysis and participatory mapping methods to understand how these arrangements evolve, in line with environmental, urban, and socio-political transformations.

The project is based on comparative case studies in four cities, Addis Ababa, Cochabamba, Dar es Salaam, and Hanoi. This will help to build an understanding of the variety of arrangements that fall under the concept of co-production.

LEMA’s experience in analysing patterns of urban change and sustainability provides a contribution for addressing the involvement of local communities in co-production initiatives and their spatial/temporal evolution.

The project is coordinated by Prof. Luisa Moretto, from ULB La Cambre-Horta (Brussels) and Prof. Jacques Teller from LEMA – Local Environment Management and Analysis Research Group.

Supervisor: Prof. Jacques Teller

Researcher: Federica Natalia Rosati

Funding: The total budget of the project is € 456.640. The research is funded by a FNRS grant T.0174.16, in the framework of the PRD project Typologies of Institutionalised Coproduction of Water and Sanitation Services in the Urban South (TYCO-WSS).

Projects partnerships have been established with the following institutions: Ardhi University (Dar Es Salaam), Universidad Privada Boliviana (Cochabamba), Addis Ababa University (Addis Ababa), National University of Civil Engineering and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Hanoi).