July 2002, Vol. 8, No. 1

Urban Studies
Public Services Found Lacking in Many
Developing-country Cities

In the cities of less-developed countries, many households are not outfitted with running water, sanitary waste disposal, and electricity. Poor water quality and inadequate sanitation are associated with increased incidence of diarrheal diseases, such as cholera, and other bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, these diseases can recur and affect health in the long term by reducing the uptake of nutrients, which in turn stunts growth and causes wasting. Children living without these basic public services also suffer from elevated mortality and other health risks. Lack of electricity can influence nutrition directly, by limiting refrigeration and food storage, and indirectly, by reducing economic production and incomes. 

Population Council demographers Paul C. Hewett and Mark R. Montgomery recently completed a comprehensive examination of the availability of services in cities and towns of developing countries around the world. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 43 countries, they discovered striking differences in the distribution of these basic services. Moreover, recent political changes underway in many developing countries may be making the delivery of basic services more difficult. 

Smaller cities and the urban poor
Research has often detailed the extreme deprivation in rural areas of developing countries. In rural sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, nearly 90 percent of households (representing more than 350 million people) lack running water, flush toilets, and electricity. However, “in addition to highlighting the needs of the rural poor,” says Hewett, “our research suggests that the circumstances of the urban poor, particularly those in smaller cities, require attention.” The United Nations projects that in the next quarter-century, more than 90 percent of world population growth will occur in urban areas of developing countries.

By distinguishing urban areas by size rather than merely focusing on differences between urban and rural areas or on the largest cities, Hewett and Montgomery found that people who live in smaller cities are much less likely to have basic services than are people who live in larger cities. For instance, nearly 50 percent of households in the cities of sub- Saharan Africa with populations under 100,000 lack piped water, flush toilets, and electricity. Similar deficits in the availability of basic services exist in the smaller cities of Asia and Latin America. 

“We also found sharp inequalities in access to public services between the urban poor and other urban residents,” says Hewett. The largest differences emerge in access to electricity, which in sub-Saharan African countries is available to only a quarter of the urban poor but slightly more than half of other urban households. Wide differentials in access are also evident in Southeast Asia, and in South, Central, and West Asia. In Latin America, the greatest differences between the urban poor and other urban residents are seen in access to flush toilets, with smaller (yet still significant) differences in piped water and electricity.

Political decentralization and devolution 
Recent policy changes may stymie efforts to remedy these imbalances. “Many developing-country governments are decentralizing service delivery, transferring responsibilities from national to local levels without a commensurate transfer of funding,” says Montgomery. “This leaves local governments unable to extend public services.” In some cases nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, and residents’ associations have attempted to provide services. The researchers contend, however, that such small groups may not effectively substitute for active national governments. “Until the situation is sorted out, gross inefficiencies and gaps will probably continue to plague the provision of public services,” contends Montgomery.

Source
Hewett, Paul C. and Mark R. Montgomery. 2001. “Poverty and public services in developing-country cities.” Policy Research Division Working Paper no. 154. New York: Population Council. (PDF)

Outside funding
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the United States Agency for International Development

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