Urban-rural water access inequalities in Malawi: implications for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals

Urban-rural inequalities in water access constitute one of the major obstacles to achieving universal water coverage. In Sub-Saharan Africa, these inequalities have persisted for decades. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seek to achieve universal access to safely managed water, which requires that an improved source be located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. This paper draws on empirical evidence from household surveys in peri-urban and rural Malawi to examine urban-rural differences in access to safely managed water. The paper highlights issues with the SDGs' definition and monitoring indicators and outlines lessons for improving water access given existing inequalities between urban and rural areas. It concludes by arguing that a one-size-fits-all approach to governance, monitoring, and planning cannot eliminate inequalities in water access, especially between urban and rural areas.