Urban Fragmentation through Water Networks: The Case of Cochabamba, Bolivia

Abstract

Given the limited capacity of the public sector in Bolivia to provide basic services and infrastructure, within the metropolitan area of Cochabamba, multiple neighborhood organizations have developed practices and strategies aimed at self-management of different services, including water supply for human consumption. Strategies around self-management of the water service are developed by a series of small-scale local operators, small neighborhood organizations whose main purpose is to guarantee access to water services through the administration of local water systems and networks. Their actions allow equitable and permanent access to water, however, these strategies evolve in urban fragmentation where strong processes of social dislocation, loss of solidarity between neighbors and the division of the city into hundreds of fragments take place.