IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p4685-d541355.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Cost of a Sustainable Water Supply at Network Kiosks in Peri-Urban Blantyre, Malawi

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea B. Coulson

    (Department of Accounting and Finance, Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0QU, UK)

  • Michael O. Rivett

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XN, UK
    GroundH 2 O Plus Ltd., Quinton, Birmingham B32 1DY, UK)

  • Robert M. Kalin

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XN, UK)

  • Sergio M. P. Fernández

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XN, UK
    Engineering Unit, World Food Programme, 653 A Block 68, Arkawit, Khartoum P.O. Box 913, Sudan)

  • Jonathan P. Truslove

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XN, UK
    Engineers Without Borders, London SE11 5RR, UK)

  • Muthi Nhlema

    (BASEFlow, Galaxy House, Chichiri, Blantyre P.O. Box 30467, Malawi)

  • Joseph Maygoya

    (Water for People, Blantyre P.O. Box 1207, Malawi)

Abstract

Empirical insights were made into the challenges of supplying water to communities within low-income areas of peri-urban Blantyre, Malawi. A networked public water supply is provided to those without a domestic tap via communal water kiosks managed by community-based Water User Associations (WUAs) under a government mandate. There has been considerable debate surrounding the tariff charged for water supplied to such vulnerable communities. However, research has largely failed to consider the costs of WUAs operating the kiosks and the impact on the kiosk tariff. The determination of kiosk tariffs is critical to ensuring lifeline access to a sustainable water supply under Sustainable Development Goal 6. We provide evidence of this from our experience in the field in Blantyre. In particular, we argue that sustainable kiosk running costs cannot be born solely by the end user. A number of reforms are needed to help reduce the kiosk tariff. To reduce WUA costs and the kiosk tariffs, WUAs need more training in financial record keeping and cost management, WUAs should not inherit outstanding kiosk debt upon taking over their operations, and water boards should build kiosk costs over which they have fiscal responsibility into integrated block tariff calculations and subsidize them accordingly.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea B. Coulson & Michael O. Rivett & Robert M. Kalin & Sergio M. P. Fernández & Jonathan P. Truslove & Muthi Nhlema & Joseph Maygoya, 2021. "The Cost of a Sustainable Water Supply at Network Kiosks in Peri-Urban Blantyre, Malawi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4685-:d:541355
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4685/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4685/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mark Shenkin & Andrea B. Coulson, 2007. "Accountability through activism: learning from Bourdieu," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(2), pages 297-317, April.
    2. Ruijs, A. & Zimmermann, A. & van den Berg, M., 2008. "Demand and distributional effects of water pricing policies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2-3), pages 506-516, June.
    3. Roumasset, James & Wada, Christopher A., 2013. "A dynamic approach to PES pricing and finance for interlinked ecosystem services: Watershed conservation and groundwater management," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 24-33.
    4. Bebbington, Jan & Brown, Judy & Frame, Bob, 2007. "Accounting technologies and sustainability assessment models," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 224-236, March.
    5. Bob Frame & Jo Cavanagh, 2009. "Experiences of sustainability assessment: An awkward adolescence," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(3), pages 195-208, September.
    6. Moreno-Sanchez, Rocio & Maldonado, Jorge Higinio & Wunder, Sven & Borda-Almanza, Carlos, 2012. "Heterogeneous users and willingness to pay in an ongoing payment for watershed protection initiative in the Colombian Andes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 126-134.
    7. Garrick, Dustin & Whitten, Stuart M. & Coggan, Anthea, 2013. "Understanding the evolution and performance of water markets and allocation policy: A transaction costs analysis framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 195-205.
    8. Bartelmus, Peter, 2007. "SEEA-2003: Accounting for sustainable development?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 613-616, March.
    9. Zhang, Lei & Heerink, Nico & Dries, Liesbeth & Shi, Xiaoping, 2013. "Water users associations and irrigation water productivity in northern China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 128-136.
    10. Rebecca Nixon & Francis Owusu, 2017. "Choice, Inclusion, and Access to Information: Understanding Female Farmers’ Participation in Kyrgyzstan’s Water-User Associations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-15, December.
    11. Frame, Bob & Brown, Judy, 2008. "Developing post-normal technologies for sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 225-241, April.
    12. Frame, Bob & Cavanagh, Jo, 2009. "Experiences of sustainability assessment: An awkward adolescence," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 195-208.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Serrano-Bosquet, Francisco Javier & Carreño Correa, Lina María & Giorgi, Emanuele, 2023. "Review: technological resources for vulnerable communities," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    2. Adams, Ellis Adjei & Byrns, Sydney & Kumwenda, Save & Quilliam, Richard & Mkandawire, Theresa & Price, Heather, 2022. "Water journeys: Household water insecurity, health risks, and embodiment in slums and informal settlements," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jeffrey Unerman & Jan Bebbington & Brendan O’dwyer, 2018. "Corporate reporting and accounting for externalities," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(5), pages 497-522, July.
    2. Bebbington, Jan & Larrinaga, Carlos, 2014. "Accounting and sustainable development: An exploration," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 395-413.
    3. Xing, Yangang & Horner, R. Malcolm W. & El-Haram, Mohamed A. & Bebbington, Jan, 2009. "A framework model for assessing sustainability impacts of urban development," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 209-224.
    4. Jones, Michael John, 2010. "Accounting for the environment: Towards a theoretical perspective for environmental accounting and reporting," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 123-138.
    5. Blackburn, Nivea & Brown, Judy & Dillard, Jesse & Hooper, Val, 2014. "A dialogical framing of AIS–SEA design," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 83-101.
    6. Saravanamuthu, Kala & Lehman, Cheryl, 2013. "Enhancing stakeholder interaction through environmental risk accounts," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 410-437.
    7. Jean-Marc Douguet & Martin O 'Connor & Jean-Pierre Doussoulin & Philippe Lanceleur & Karine Philippot, 2014. "L'Empreinte Écologique Du Parc Naturel De La Haute Vallée De Chevreuse : Du Concept À La Construction De L'Outil," Working Papers hal-01243385, HAL.
    8. Thomson, Ian & Grubnic, Suzana & Georgakopoulos, Georgios, 2014. "Exploring accounting-sustainability hybridisation in the UK public sector," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 453-476.
    9. Brown, Judy, 2009. "Democracy, sustainability and dialogic accounting technologies: Taking pluralism seriously," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 313-342.
    10. D.T. Rutledge & M. Cameron & S. Elliott & T. Fenton & B. Huser & G. McBride & G. McDonald & M. O’Connor & D. Phyn & J. Poot & R. Price & F. Scrimgeour & B. Small & A. Tait & H. Van Delden & M.E. Wedde, 2008. "Choosing Regional Futures: Challenges and choices in building integrated models to support long-term regional planning in New Zealand," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(1), pages 85-108, November.
    11. Frame, Bob & Cavanagh, Jo, 2009. "Experiences of sustainability assessment: An awkward adolescence," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 195-208.
    12. Spence, Laura J. & Rinaldi, Leonardo, 2014. "Governmentality in accounting and accountability: A case study of embedding sustainability in a supply chain," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 433-452.
    13. Molisa, Pala, 2011. "A spiritual reflection on emancipation and accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 453-484.
    14. Brown, Judy & Dillard, Jesse, 2013. "Agonizing over engagement: SEA and the “death of environmentalism” debates," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 1-18.
    15. Clément Feger & Laurent Mermet, 2017. "A blueprint towards accounting for the management of ecosystems," Post-Print hal-01930913, HAL.
    16. Sorola, Matthew, 2022. "Q methodology to conduct a critical study in accounting: A Q study on accountants’ perspectives of social and environmental reporting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    17. Olivier Boiral & Marie‐Christine Brotherton & Léo Rivaud & David Talbot, 2022. "Comparing the uncomparable? An investigation of car manufacturers' climate performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2213-2229, July.
    18. Cynthia H. Stahl, 2014. "Out of the Land of Oz: the importance of tackling wicked environmental problems without taming them," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 473-477, December.
    19. Davide Giacomini & Paola Zola & Diego Paredi & Mario Mazzoleni, 2020. "Environmental disclosure and stakeholder engagement via social media: State of the art and potential in public utilities," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1552-1564, July.
    20. Figge, Frank & Hahn, Tobias & Barkemeyer, Ralf, 2014. "The If, How and Where of assessing sustainable resource use," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 274-283.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4685-:d:541355. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.