Water Services and the Private Sector in Developing Countries

This book proposes a synthesis of several of the works carried out for the research program, as well as a comparison with other works treating a similar problem. It combines academic contributions as well as analyses by operational actors involved in reflections on how the sector evolves. The objective of this work is thus to retrace the dynamics of reflecting upon the role of private actors.

It shows the great diversity of situations as well as the viewpoint of the actors concerning the contributions of, and the problems created by, these interventions, analyzing the consequences for public action. It also tries to show the different steps describing such dynamics; these evolved from economic and financial preoccupations to social and political problems, and from an initial focus on great urban centers to a questioning that integrates semi-urban and peri-urban contexts.

The development of the local private sector is, however, too weak in many developing countries to satisfy the professional criteria of PPP calls for tenders. The adaptation of the latter and the creation of consortia combining experienced international operators and national enterprises might thus encourage the progressive development of modern operators in developing countries.

Publication Date: 03.2012