Urban Water Scarcity and Municipal Finance: A case study of Johannesburg
Presenter: Kirsten Pearson (SAIIA)
Respondent: Ferrial Adam (Water and climate justice activist)
20 March, 1-3pm, at the PARI offices or online.
RSVP to attend in-person here or register to attend online here
Residents and businesses in Johannesburg are faced with inadequate water supply. South Africa’s municipal revenue model relies largely on the resale of water and electricity to generate revenue to fund municipal operations. However, municipalities have discretionary power to prioritise spending, often leading to inadequate investment in infrastructure maintenance. This study discusses the institutional and fiscal dimensions of the water crisis in Johannesburg, exploring how persistent neglect of infrastructure maintenance has contributed to avoidable water losses. By examining the interplay of governance arrangements and budget dynamics, it describes some root causes of the ongoing water challenges.
About the series:
The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), Society, Work and Politics Institute (SWOP), Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) and the Johannesburg Crisis: Concerned Academics, continue this seminar series to offer scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students an opportunity to share their ongoing work, either by discussing work in progress or presenting upcoming and new publications on the City of Johannesburg.
In 2025, the series provides a collaborative space and dialogue to scholars, researchers, activists and policy makers, to share their ongoing work on the City of Johannesburg.
This is an itinerant series and the details of each seminar will be published one week prior.
