Water Infrastructure as an Essential Element for Human Development

Infrastructure is essential for development, but by itself it will not contribute to improving the quality of life of millions of people unless it is part of an overall framework for development, economic growth, social equity and environmental protection. As mentioned by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, the absence of infrastructure has a pervasive influence on poverty, but at the same time is not a free-standing factor in lifting people from it. The focus should thus not be on physical infrastructure per se but on infrastructure as a driver for growth and sustainable development. This requires more comprehensive institutional, legal, regulatory, policy and management frameworks than the ones existing at present.

By Cecilia Tortajada, 2014. Article published in International Journal of Water Resources Development, Volume 30, Issue 1, pages 8-19. DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2014.888636

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