Water and energy deprivation: Addressing the problem of essential utility services poverty in Mayotte

Dorothée Charlier, Bérangère Legendre and Olivia Ricci

Energy Policy, 2024, vol. 195, issue C

Abstract: Among the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 are ensuring “availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation” and “access to modern energy sources”. One problem for Mahorais households is access to safe, clean and affordable essential utility services, such as electricity, water and sewerage. Moreover, Mayotte, a French oversea department, is experiencing an unprecedented drought. The island, which is sinking into a severe water crisis, has been depriving its inhabitants of running water two days out of three since the beginning of September 2023. We define a new concept of utility services poverty (basic utility services deprivation) based on the theoretical capabilities framework of Sen and Nussbaum. Using a latent class model, we identify households that are poor in utility services and characterize four household profiles. One main advantage of this methodology is replicability in many Low and Middle Income Countries’ (LMICs). We demonstrate that access to water is more discriminatory than access to electricity in Mayotte. The top priority in fighting utility services poverty should be access to water and sanitary facilities. Public policies should be implemented not according to income but to facilitate water and energy access and improve basic hygiene conditions notably through social housing.

Keywords: Utility services; Energy poverty; Water poverty; Latent class models; Public policies; Mayotte water crisis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C38 O12 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:195:y:2024:i:c:s0301421524003847

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114364

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