Water supply and sanitation in Zambia: reform and regulation

Zambia has undertaken water sector reforms over the past decade. The introduction of an autonomous water supply and sanitation regulator, National Water Supply and Sanitation Council, has provided a new institution with tools for improving sector performance. As with any reform, citizen confidence with new arrangements will depend on their perceptions of sector improvements, including water quality and network expansion. This study shows that performance monitoring (and associated rewards) has begun to have a positive impact, although much remains to be done.