Applied systems analysis in water access for emerging human settlements: a case study of Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe

Water is a vital resource required to sustain life yet citizens do not always have access to portable water. We argue that urban water systems are complex dynamic systems consisting flows and feedbacks that disrupt or enhance their function. We employed the mixed-method research design grounded in p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inUrban water journal Vol. 17; no. 9; pp. 763 - 773
Main Authors Matamanda, Abraham R., Mphambukeli, Thulisile, Chirisa, Innocent
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Taylor & Francis 20.10.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Access
Applied systems analysis
Drinking water
emerging human settlement
Harare
Hopley Farm
Human settlements
Mixed methods research
Research design
Surveying
Systems analysis
Water wells
Zimbabwe
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Summary:Water is a vital resource required to sustain life yet citizens do not always have access to portable water. We argue that urban water systems are complex dynamic systems consisting flows and feedbacks that disrupt or enhance their function. We employed the mixed-method research design grounded in phenomenological and survey approaches. The applied systems analysis methodology enabled analysis of data through development of causal-loop diagrams and the examination of leverage points to explore the water system for Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe. The findings reveal that funding, lack of accountability and politics of difference are among the major reasons for the citizens' lack of access to potable water in Hopley as evidence from the results that show that 19% (n = 87) access water from unprotected wells while 40% (n = 180) lamented that the water is not reliable. The study makes a methodological contribution that brings to attention the leverage points in this water system.
ISSN:1573-062X
1744-9006
DOI:10.1080/1573062X.2020.1811882