Pro-Poor Subsidies for Water Connections in West Africa: A Preliminary Study, Executive Summary (Water Supply & Sanitation Working Notes, no.4, January 2005)

The Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership project aims at assessing the subsidy schemes in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire for providing piped water to the poor. This study was commissioned to make a preliminary evaluation of the schemes in Dakar (in Senegal) and Abidjan (in Cote d’Ivoire). The field work (April 22 through May 5, 2002) was made to explore whether those social connection programs might merit further study for application in other developing countries.
 
The objectives was to examine how well the schemes in West Africa for making social and ordinary connections are working. A social connection, aimed at the poor, is free, whereas an ordinary connection, aimed at wealthier households, must be paid for.

Table of Contents:

1. Background
1.1 Objectives and Approach

2. Senegal
2.1 Criteria for Social Connections
2.2 Water Supply Policy in Dakar
2.3 Senegales Institutions for Making Social Connections
2.4 How Social Connections Are Made in Senegal

3. Differences Between Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire

4. Performances of the Social Connection Programs
4.1 Cote d’Ivoire
4.2 Senegal

5. Analysis
5.1 Is There a Need for Social Connections
5.2 Are the Social Connection Programs Serving the Poor
5.3 Are the Administrative Costs of the Social Connection Programs Low
5.4 Do Social Connection Programs Produce Perverse Incentives

6. Discussion and Recommendations
6.1 Serving the Poorest
6.2 Serving the Relatively Poor
6.3 Making Connections
6.4 Three Recommendations