Assessing the sustainable provision of water and sanitation services after in-situ upgrading of informal settlements : a case study of Cato Crest.

Abstract

This research study assesses the sustainable provision of water and sanitation in insitu upgrading of informal settlements. This is achieved through assessing issues such as lack of clean water and proper sanitation using Cato Crest in-situ housing project as the case study. The Cato Crest area falls under eThekwini Municipality (Ward 101). Cato Crest is located along edges or crest of Cato Manor, it is roughly seven kilometers toward the west of the Durban CBD. This research introduces the topic based on the provision of clean water and proper sanitation for low income people in an urban settlement. This research further offers an overview of the research problem, research aims and research objectives. The aim objective of this research was to access the sustainable provision of clean water and proper sanitation services in upgraded informal settlements and to access if people continue to use the municipal services even beyond their in-situ upgrading of informal settlements. This study used qualitative research method to collect data. The theoretical framework for this study was based on decentralization theory, the basic needs approach, and human right based approach. Interviews were conducted with eThekwini Water and Sanitation officials and household surveys were conducted from the case study. This study involved the use of both primary and secondary data to obtain a thorough assessment of the problem of water supply and sanitation in the Cato Crest area. Access to water and adequate sanitation has been a challenging issue in Cato Crest area. The study’s findings showed satisfaction with regard to the provision of clean water. The study also found high level of dissatisfaction with regards to the provision of sanitation, some respondents raised concerns that the chemical toilets were not safe especially for women and children at night because some of the doors could not close and there was no light once the sun had set, this raised the important issue of safety. The study concluded that, the pace of municipal services such as water and sanitation is still perceived to be slow compared to the growing needs of the population therefore it is important for the government to continue investing in delivering basic services to all South African citizen.