Socio-political barriers to sustainable urban water governance: the case of Cartagena, Colombia

ABSTRACTSocio-political factors shape urban water insecurity, yet are often not incorporated into urban water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) planning. WASH service coverage rates in Cartagena, Colombia, suggest high water security, yet the history of water policy and governance in the city from 1991 to 2019 reveals a more complex reality of water insecurity that is not reflected in service coverage indicators. This case study bridges scientific enquiry with policy to demonstrate how weak institutions and governance at municipal levels undermine local water security and the implementation of national sustainable development policy.KEYWORDS: Urban water securityWASH policysustainable developmentLatin America and Caribbeanwater governanceterritoryColombia AcknowledgementsThe authors thank the stakeholders and community members in Cartagena who provided local insights and information.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Notes1. The UN addresses water insecurity in SDG 6: ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ (UN, 2015).2. As defined by UN-Water: ‘Water security is defined here as the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability’ (UN-Water, Citation2013).3. Article 94 calls for sustainable availability of potable water from the Ciénaga de la Virgen marsh and Dique Canal for the needs of the city and region. Article 95 calls for watershed and environmental management and to assure clean water for potable use (POT Cartagena, Citation2001, p. 54).4. Article 95 calls for watershed and environmental management and to assure clean water for potable use (POT Cartagena, Citation2001, p. 54).5. An immitigable high-risk zone is an area under threat from natural disasters such as landslides and is deemed unsuitable for living (POT Cartagena, Citation2001, pp. 60–66).Additional informationFundingThis study was supported by the National Science Foundation, grant number BCS-1759972.