Multi-stakeholder collaboration for the governance of water supply in Wolkite, Ethiopia

To maximize the values of water, there is an increasing understanding that good management of the technical and non-technical aspects of water supply requires the active collaboration of stakeholders. However, little research exists that covers the social aspects of water supply governance. This qualitative exploratory study explored the collaboration of stakeholders in governing water supply in the urban context in Wolkite Town. Using interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis, the study thematically explored the reasons for weak collaboration among stakeholders in governing water supply and the ways of improving it. It shows that although there are some forms of cooperation between some stakeholders, the governance arrangement is monopolized by a few sectors. This has become the bureaucratic origin for the lack of smooth communication, emergence of conflict, narrow conception of water supply, and lack of mutual understanding. A framework that rearranges the existing governance pattern has to incorporate the principles of decentralization of responsibility, the formation of intermediary organizations, and the integration of water supply with broader urban sustainability programs.