Water: From Infrastructure to Sustainability

By Joachim Ezeji, PhD, PMP

1. Introduction

The global water crisis remains one of the most pressing development challenges. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in regions of absolute water scarcity, while nearly two-thirds of the global population will experience water stress.

Approximately 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, and 3.5 billion lack adequate sanitation services. 

The consequences extend beyond access. Unsafe water and sanitation contribute to over 1.4 million deaths annually and impose economic losses estimated at US$260 billion. 

While these figures reflect a global challenge, their impacts are most acutely felt in countries like Nigeria, where rapid urbanization, population growth, and climate variability intersect with institutional and governance constraints.

2. The Sustainability Paradox

Despite substantial investments, many WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) projects fail prematurely. Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of systems become non-functional within a short period after commissioning. 

In Nigeria, structural constraints underpin this paradox:

• Inefficient public expenditure and underinvestment 

• Weak institutional performance 

• Poor construction quality 

• Limited accountability mechanisms 

• Underperforming utilities relative to global benchmarks 

Notably, nearly 30% of water points fail within their first year of operation. 

This pattern highlights a fundamental misalignment: sector interventions remain heavily skewed toward capital expenditure (CAPEX), with insufficient attention to lifecycle sustainability.

3. The functionality Crisis

The WASHNORM 2021 report provides a clearer picture of system performance:

• 23% of public water facilities are non-functional 

• Only 14% meet standard technical requirements 

• Just 11% have reliable O&M systems 

• Access levels: 67% (water), 46% (sanitation), 17% (hygiene) 

While headline functionality appears relatively high, deeper analysis reveals systemic fragility. Most systems lack durability due to weak maintenance structures and absence of asset management frameworks.

This suggests that the issue is not infrastructure availability, but infrastructure reliability—a governance and management problem rather than a purely technical one.

4. Impacts of Water Scarcity

Water scarcity has cascading effects across public health, education, and economic productivity. In underserved communities, households rely on unimproved sources such as rivers, streams, and shallow wells. 

The burden is disproportionately borne by women and girls, who are primarily responsible for water collection and household hygiene. This results in:

• Reduced time for education and economic activities 

• Increased exposure to health risks 

• Heightened vulnerability to insecurity 

Inadequate water access also undermines sanitation systems. Water-dependent sanitation infrastructure often becomes unusable, increasing the risk of open defecation and disease transmission.

Ultimately, water insecurity is not merely a service gap—it is a structural constraint on human development.

5. Governance and Delivery Models

Sustainable water service delivery is fundamentally a governance challenge. While governments bear primary responsibility, current delivery models—particularly contractor-led approaches—often exclude community engagement and social accountability mechanisms. 

By contrast, multilateral and bilateral programs typically integrate:

• Stakeholder engagement frameworks 

• NGO participation 

• Community ownership mechanisms 

The limited integration of NGOs in domestically funded projects reflects procurement rigidities and institutional weaknesses. However, excluding these actors undermines long-term sustainability.

A more effective model requires:

• Policy mandates for inclusive governance 

• Procurement reforms 

• Structured collaboration between government, contractors, and civil society 

6. The “Repair Before Replace” Principle

A central argument of this paper is that the water sector does not primarily require new infrastructure—it requires better management of existing assets.

The “repair before replace” principle emphasizes:

• Prioritizing maintenance over new construction 

• Extending asset life cycles 

• Improving system reliability 

• Enhancing capital efficiency 

This approach is grounded in asset management principles and delivers multiple benefits:

• Reduced capital waste 

• Improved service continuity 

• Strengthened institutional accountability 

Crucially, sustainable O&M requires disciplined cost recovery mechanisms, with revenues ring-fenced for maintenance.

In essence, asset management is not an operational detail—it is the foundation of sustainable service delivery.

7. The True Cost of Water Infrastructure

Infrastructure costs extend beyond initial construction. For instance, a typical borehole in Nigeria costs approximately USD $3,000, depending on geological conditions. 

However, long-term sustainability depends on:

• Hydrogeological assessments 

• Quality assurance 

• Maintenance systems 

• Distribution infrastructure 

When properly managed, O&M costs remain relatively modest compared to the cost of system failure and replacement.

This reinforces a key insight: the real cost of infrastructure is lifecycle cost, not construction cost.

8. New Water Investments Strategies

Before initiating new projects, development actors must critically assess existing conditions. Key questions include:

1. What are current water sources? 

2. Who relies on them? 

3. Can existing systems be rehabilitated? 

4. What are the lifecycle costs and benefits? 

5. Are O&M systems viable? 

These questions shift decision-making from reactive infrastructure delivery to strategic asset optimization.

9. Aligning with Climate Finance Architecture

Climate vulnerability is universal, but its impacts vary in intensity. Addressing water challenges requires both domestic commitment and access to global financing mechanisms.

Four key multilateral climate funds are particularly relevant:

• Adaptation Fund (AF) 

• Climate Investment Funds (CIF) 

• Global Environment Facility (GEF) 

• Green Climate Fund (GCF) 

These funds support:

• Climate adaptation 

• Resilience building 

• Sustainable infrastructure 

However, accessing these funds requires strong project preparation capacity, including:

• Bankable project design 

• Results frameworks 

• Institutional readiness 

This highlights a critical gap: financing is available, but access is constrained by capacity.

10. System Stewardship

The evidence is clear: the water sector’s core challenge is not infrastructure scarcity, but system sustainability.

A paradigm shift is required—from building infrastructure to stewarding infrastructure systems.

This shift rests on three pillars:

1. Asset Management: Institutionalizing lifecycle planning and O&M systems 

2. Governance Reform: Strengthening accountability, inclusion, and coordination 

3. Strategic Financing: Leveraging climate finance through improved project preparation 

Ultimately, sustainable water service delivery is not achieved through construction alone. It is achieved through disciplined management, inclusive governance, and long-term capital planning.

Dr Joachim Ezeji is a Capital Strategy & Infrastructure Governance Specialist. Focused on integrating climate risk into long-horizon municipal asset planning.