ABSTRACT
The capital city in particular suffers from an acute housing shortage and the growth of unplanned squatter settlements from the late 1980s, but so too do the other main towns of Linden, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall and Corriverton. Water provision is an essential prerequisite for urban living. Growing squatter settlements near the water provisioning systems have undoubtedly contributed to deteriorating water quality. In terms of quantitative water provision, official statistics state that over 90% of the urban and 75% of the rural population has access to piped water. A draft master plan for Georgetown’s water supply, sewerage and drainage was produced in 1994. The panoply of problems in the state and private sector include streamlining water administration whilst building human resource and institutional capacity, revenue collection and investment. Human settlement and service provision combined with the essentials of health and education in the context of sustainable economic development provides the key to a more secure future.
