64 The Future of Water in African Cities
is not enough data available for almost all areas relevant to urban water management—particularly for informal settlements—including data on hydrometeorology, water resources, water services, and coping strategies, as well as information on related factors such as population and land use. One of the primary recommendations of this book (presented in Chapter 5) is to improve research and data about African cities. By presenting the data that are currently available, supplemented by new data sets generated for this book, we hope to stimulate two discussions: one on data needs, and another on the substance of the relevance of an IUWM approach for specific cities.
Knowledge and Attitudes to Urban Water Management Are More Evolved than Its Practice in Africa Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in relation to urban water management is crucial for the ability to act. Together with the African Water Association and the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, we conducted a KAP survey among municipal and utility leaders (see Appendix 1 for methodology). The questionnaire was responded to by 13 of 39 municipalities (33 percent) and 24 of 80 utilities (30 percent). Utility decision makers believe that a wide range of issues need to be considered as part of an urban water management plan. In addition to traditional water and sanitation issues, utilities identified issues related to flood and drought risk, services to the poor, links to urban planning, and expected population growth (see Figure 3.1). However, current plans have a more restricted coverage. Only two out of three utilities in large African cities responding to the questionnaire have an approved water master plan. Within the approved plans, less than half are known to include consideration of urban drainage, solid waste management, drought and flood contingency plans, rainwater harvesting, and urban land zoning. Municipal leaders agree that their future plans should include a wide range of issues related to urban water management. More than 80 percent of leaders from cities think that their future plans should include issues such as rainwater harvesting, and drought and flood contingency plans. However, municipalities have more encompassing current plans than utilities. The results of the survey also show that municipalities include in their current urban plans a wider array of issues than water utilities. IUWM approaches are intended to widen the range of issues from an early planning stage. This seems to partly match the needs recognized in