Water access strategies in urban areas: Water territories in Cochabamba (Bolivia)

Abstract

In Bolivia’s third city, water shortages have led to adaptive strategies by populations who are excluded from public services. The distribution network supplies less than half of the city, leaving huge numbers without access to drinking water. In response to this shortage, inhabitants of these neighborhoods have grouped themselves into community organizations called Water Committees, which provide similar services to SEMAPA (the municipal water supply and sanitation service). Consequently, water management is territorially differentiated and has given birth to autonomous “water territories,” with clearly defined borders within the urban landscape. This article examines the vulnerabilities that result from multiple management and distribution territories, which can introduce significant social and environmental inequalities, or alternatively generate a stronger resilience in getting access to water.