Water for a Growing Population: Water Supply and Groundwater Issues in Developing Countries

In developing countries, most population growth occurs in urban areas, placing greater pressures on urban water supply and wastewater infrastructure and diverting capital and institutional support resources away from rural areas. Many water supply studies and projects have turned out to be inappropriate or have not fulfilled their promises. Typical problems with inappropriate technology, inefficient operation, institutional analysis, lack of leadership, unimplemented plans, and lack of post analysis are examined, with emphasis on groundwater resources, and with recommendations for avoiding them in the future.