Narzetti, W.; Pinto, F.S.; Narzetti, D.; Cetrulo, T. Reaching Universal Coverage of Water and Sanitation Services: Is Regionalization a Sustainable Path for Developing Countries? Water2023, 15, 2756.
Narzetti, W.; Pinto, F.S.; Narzetti, D.; Cetrulo, T. Reaching Universal Coverage of Water and Sanitation Services: Is Regionalization a Sustainable Path for Developing Countries? Water 2023, 15, 2756.
Narzetti, W.; Pinto, F.S.; Narzetti, D.; Cetrulo, T. Reaching Universal Coverage of Water and Sanitation Services: Is Regionalization a Sustainable Path for Developing Countries? Water2023, 15, 2756.
Narzetti, W.; Pinto, F.S.; Narzetti, D.; Cetrulo, T. Reaching Universal Coverage of Water and Sanitation Services: Is Regionalization a Sustainable Path for Developing Countries? Water 2023, 15, 2756.
Abstract
Achieving universal access to water and sanitation services in developing countries requires a coherent legal, political, and institutional environment, along with a clear financial strategy. Regionalizing utilities may be crucial for addressing disparities, economic inequalities, and governance challenges. Regionalization offers economies of scale, resource efficiency, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. The cornerstone will be ensuring the financial-economic viability of regional utilities, considering their social impacts in terms of affordability. The State of Santa Catarina case study is assessed. In the case of Santa Catarina, only four regional utilities currently generate sufficient revenue, without factoring in necessary investments, indicating the need to review design parameters to improve operational efficiency and increase revenues. Additional financial support may be required to ensure universal access. Tariff adjustments must strike a balance between cost-effectiveness and affordability for families.
Keywords
water and sanitation services; water governance; universal access; financial-economic capacity; sustainability; regionalization.
Subject
Social Sciences, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
