ABSTRACT

Water is a vital resource required to sustain life yet citizens do not always have access to portable water. We argue that urban water systems are complex dynamic systems consisting flows and feedbacks that disrupt or enhance their function. We employed the mixed-method research design grounded in phenomenological and survey approaches. The applied systems analysis methodology enabled analysis of data through development of causal-loop diagrams and the examination of leverage points to explore the water system for Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe. The findings reveal that funding, lack of accountability and politics of difference are among the major reasons for the citizens’ lack of access to potable water in Hopley as evidence from the results that show that 19% (n = 87) access water from unprotected wells while 40% (n = 180) lamented that the water is not reliable. The study makes a methodological contribution that brings to attention the leverage points in this water system.

摘要

水是维持生命所必需的重要资源，但公民并不总是能够获得便携式水。我们认为城市水系统是复杂的动态系统，由扰乱或增强其功能的流量和反馈组成。我们采用了基于现象学和调查方法的混合方法研究设计。所应用的系统分析方法通过建立因果关系图和检查杠杆点来进行数据分析，以探索津巴布韦哈拉雷的霍普利农场的水系统。调查结果表明，资金，结果表明，有19％（n = 87）的人从不受保护的井中取水，而40％（n = 180）感叹水不可靠。该研究做出了方法论上的贡献，引起了人们对这一供水系统杠杆作用点的关注。