Quenching thirst: modelling urban water infrastructure governance through critical participatory cartographies in Douala, Cameroon

Access to drinking water is amongst the most recurrent and pressing urban issues in cities of the Global South. In some contexts, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, supply difficulties may be linked to natural factors intensified by climate change. The situation in Douala, Cameroon, presents a different configuration. The city, known for its abundant water resources provided by the Moungo, Dibamba, Nkam, and Wouri rivers that border it to the west, east, north, and south, respectively, nevertheless experiences a persistent water crisis. This means natural deficit is not the problem, but rather that of poor resource management, involving political, socio-economic, technological, and infrastructural dimensions. This study therefore focuses on water governance issues in a system dominated by a centralised, top-down approach to public services. This management model concentrates control of infrastructure and data on the water sector, reinforcing institutional power over decisions and methods of supplying water to the population. At the same time, residents are developing various adaptation practices to respond to the daily challenges of accessing this vital resource. This work combines literature on spatial planning and urban geography, political ecology, anthropology of infrastructure, and Science and Technology Studies (STS) to address the hydraulic crisis in Douala. Methodologically, this research uses a mixed methodology combining qualitative and quantitative dimensions, the latter based on the survey of 1,000 households in the city. The research also uses participatory and critical mapping to analyse the case of Douala, shedding light on the daily practices of residents in their quest for water, while mapping the power dynamics specific to the urban water sector. This approach promotes collaboration and the co-production of knowledge on supply systems by citizens themselves. It also offers a novel perspective on the sector by creatively and representatively disseminating the challenges faced by stakeholders. Five chapters comprise this study. The first two focus on participatory mapping, distinguishing between two types of actors. The first group consists of volunteer citizens from various social backgrounds who shared their daily difficulties in accessing drinking water supplied by public services, as well as their knowledge of the system’s shortcomings. The second group brings together institutional actors in the water sector whose contributions have revealed information about the infrastructure and projects under their responsibility, illustrating the power dynamics and limitations of centralized management. In both cases, the data collected has been represented using original maps. The third chapter explores alternative and complementary modes of water supply, which supplement the inadequacies of state-controlled public water services. This section reveals the emergence of new actors in this urban water landscape, amongst them: water carriers, who add to the already existing but not formally recognised street vendors or kiosk sellers; local operators; water entrepreneurs; and well drillers or diggers. Their activities and stories, also translated into spatial representations, have been integrated into the general map of the city’s water supply system. The fourth chapter analyses accessibility to public or private infrastructure, identifying factors such as the time required to obtain water, the distance between households and alternative water points, and the socioeconomic status of households. Based on surveys, this data makes it possible to determine the role and responsibility of household members in the water accessibility narrative and to measure the socio-economic and gender-based impact of this task, resulting in an estimate of the water poverty index. The fifth chapter focuses on infrastructure failures and their management, examining how knowledge and responsibilities are mobilised to ensure system maintenance. Visible breakdowns, maintenance, abandonment, and infrastructure ruins are analysed here in terms of their material, grassroots experiences and institutional implications. This research offers empirical insights of both elites and grassroots citizens to deepen understanding of urban water governance and the complexities of infrastructure management. It positions the case of Douala within ongoing water struggles in Africa, offering it as a critical reference point for future reflections on water governance, infrastructure management, and the everyday strategies cities deploy in confronting water crises.