Unequal access to water in cities of the global south from the prism of urban political ecology

Abstract

This paper analyzes inequalities in access to water in cities of the Global South from the perspective of Urban Political Ecology (UPE). Although these cities are characterized, among other aspects, by unequal access to water supply, these inequalities can be even greater if other dimensions of accessibility are considered (affordability, quality, equity, and provision of service). From the perspective of UPE, it can be affirmed that these inequalities are the effects of power relations. The article emphasizes the role of structural policies in producing a series of conditions for access to urban water supply, which are often more complex in lower-income peri-urban areas, where water distribution policies at the neighborhood level shape the daily practices of access to water, a situation that increases social inequities with regard to urban water. This paper calls for more studies from an UPE approach that analyze the role of water policies at the neighborhood scale in the production of daily inequities in access to water.