EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
policy that governs the delivery of basic services throughout the country. It is often influenced in its standard-setting role by international donor organizations, sometimes with no reference to the local context. In response to the capital intensive nature of basic service support infrastructure, central governments usually establish public sector bodies, or utilities, to benefit from economies of scale in the production and delivery of services. In many cases, these utilities take charge of all aspects of service, except in countries where there is a deliberate will to have local governments involved in downstream delivery, as in South Africa or Namibia. In these countries, bulk water and electricity are delivered to municipalities or regional entities which, in turn, distribute them to end users. In many cases, economies of scale require a more collaborative approach between central governments, the utilities and local governments, and affordability becomes a major challenge. Role of subnational or provincial governments National governments tend to rely on subnational governments for integrated water resource management, in particular, the protection of water catchments and the management of aquifers and river basins. Subnational governments are also empowered to plan and manage landfill sites but most are ill equipped to fulfil these missions efficiently, hence the need for a multi-level governance approach, coordinating the interventions of different tiers of governments to improve efficacy and to avoid duplication and fragmentation of efforts. Role of local governments The trend towards decentralization means local governments have taken on greater roles in basic service delivery to end users. In East and Southern Africa, most cities buy
bulk water from official public (or private) utilities and charge city-dwellers water tariffs for delivery. In North Africa, more cities are delegating service delivery to private companies, but they still control the definition of delivery performance and water tariffs. In Central and West Africa (with the exception of Nigeria), public (or private) utilities are chosen by the central government and carry out service delivery and establish tariffs, bypassing city governments. The access to, and management of, sanitation lag far behind the water sector. Many major cities lack sewer systems and good storm water drainage systems. Without this infrastructure, sanitation provision becomes more difficult and, in most cities, sanitation remains a major problem. Local governments tend to be responsible for the collection and disposal of solid waste, but often have limited funding and weak management capacity. Local taxes are mostly insufficient to cover costs, making national government support necessary. Throughout Africa, the provision and transmission of electricity is a national responsibility, and, in many cases, public utilities run this service. In Northern and Southern Africa, however, many municipalities deal with distribution, using it as a revenue source to cross-subsidize other local services. Often, service accounts are consolidated, meaning that the electricity supply can be cut off if bills for other services are not paid. Many local governments have been authorized to manage transport, and to build and maintain roads within their jurisdictions. However, most only set regulations and control of private transport providers. Public transportation is too challenging to be mastered by local governments alone and a collaborative approach between central and local governments and, increasingly, the private sector is most ideal.