Water and sanitation infrastructure planning in developing countries

Lectures: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session

In this course, we will examine the planning process for the provision of water supply and sanitation (W&S) services in developing countries. After a review of the state of water and sanitation services in different parts of the world and a brief introduction to W&S technologies, we will cover issues of service pricing, alternative institutional structures, including privatization, and the role of consumer demand and community participation in the planning process. Please note that the course is not technical in nature. Although we will become familiar with different W&S technologies, the emphasis of this course is on planning and policy processes in the sector. We will also examine environmental and public health considerations in water supply and sanitation planning, as well as strategies for serving low-income households. The course will make extensive use of case studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe. Assignments will include policy memos and a journal of notes on the assigned readings.

Two policy memos (5 pages maximum) and 8 readings journal entries (~1 page).

A final grade will be awarded for each student and will be comprised of the following:

Note that 35% of the final grade is based on attendance and participation. Participation includes completing assigned reading before class and being an active member of group discussions; the class is based on facilitated discussions rather than lecture.

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