System archetypes underlying formal-informal urban water supply dynamics

Abstract

Contrary to developed countries, developing countries have been observed to have increased reliance on a diversity of water supply options to meet their daily demands. Formal supply systems are incapable of delivering the daily needs of consumers. Informal supply systems, though filling the demand-supply gap, are increasingly being associated with issues of long-term sustainability, higher consumer cost, and inequity. Emerging formal-informal dynamics in developing countries require a thorough understanding of complex interactions for policy direction, in order to best support the advancement of urban water sustainability. Accordingly, system archetypes offer a platform to explain the behaviors of complex systems. This paper reviews existing literature on formal-informal dynamics and identifies common system archetypes that define urban waterscapes in the developing world. In this way, Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) are used to present the relationships and identify common archetypes that define the complexity of urban water supply systems in Hyderabad, Pakistan. These archetypes include ‘fixes that fail’, ‘shifting the burden’, ‘limits to growth/success’ and ‘growth and underinvestment’. Further, leverage points for each archetype are identified and discussed for policy direction.