Global water partnerships for people or performance? Increased access to safe water and the improvement of (sub-)urban water services in Vietnam: strengthening local capacity through global water operators' partnerships

Abstract

This cumulative dissertation aims to understand the role of water operators' partnerships (WOPs) in improving urban water supply in developing countries. Through two cases in Vietnam, safe access to water is explored in relation to the place-specific adaptation of decentralized and non-networked infrastructures, as well as the expansion of large-scale (centralized) infrastructures. The case of Hanoi uses the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of urban political ecology and splintering urbanism to understand multilevel water governance and suburbanization trends. The second case compares performance changes of the local water utility in Da Nang, before and after a cooperation with the Dutch organization, VEI (formerly known as Vitens Evides International)—the world's leading non-profit promoter and implementer of WOPs. In this example, supporting institutions include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United States Agenda for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank. Given the internationalization of strategies toward sustainable development, the research focuses on mechanisms of cooperation that support sustainable water management transitions and resilient urban water supply systems. The research assumes that WOPs sustainably contribute to the improvement of urban water supply in developing countries through the transfer of technical and operational knowledge, and the financial support of local water utilities. Both cases deliver relevant insights regarding: i) the continuity of utility performance improvements, ii) sustainable water management transitions, and iii) the effects of WOPs on poverty reduction. This work further demonstrates that by supporting urban infrastructure development, WOPs can make an important contribution to Vietnam's integration in the world economy. The findings emphasize the need to adopt a new understanding of transnational urbanism in order to raise accountability of international actors over the management of local resources. An agenda for future research suggests deepening into the debate of privatization of public water utilities. Given the relatively recent adoption of the United Nations' Resolution A/RES/64/202 on the human right to water, it is necessary to explore the legal frameworks which encourage that international cooperation mechanisms favor cost-effective solutions for affordable and inclusive access to safe water.