Problems with private water concessions: a review of experiences and analysis of dynamics

Based on empirical evidence, this paper looks at experience with privatized water supply and sanitation concessions and operating contracts in transition and developing countries, with particular reference to Latin America. The paper is an attempt to address the complexity of issues affecting private sector participation in the water sector from a dynamic point of view, taking into account how the interests, objectives and resources of private sector operators continuously shape their relationships with local stakeholders, citizens and local governments alike, and how the interaction between multinational companies and other actors affect the developmental impact of private sector participation. It is argued that the introduction of commercial considerations into the system and the profit-seeking behaviour of private water operators are major determinants of the economic, social, political and environmental results of public-private partnerships (PPPs). Such factors may explain the discrepancy between the theory pointing at private sector participation as the way forward and the results of private sector participation in practice.