This event is over.
Event Details:
More than US$19 billion are invested annually to expand access to domestic and agricultural water infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. These commitments from national governments and their development partners can transform local livelihoods, improve human health, and help households escape poverty.
However, these infrastructure investments are unlikely to achieve their poverty-alleviation potential unless they are effectively targeted, strategically sited, and well maintained. I draw on surveys conducted with more than 20,000 households in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda to identify the conditions under which these objectives can be achieved.
In this dissertation, I combine theory and methods from engineering, economics, and sociology to help inform equitable and sustainable infrastructure investment strategies. My findings will help infrastructure investments reach their intended populations, amplify their poverty-alleviation impacts, and deliver long-term, sustainable benefits.