STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF ANGOLA'S WATER SUPPLY: WHAT LIES AHEAD?

Abstract

The management of water resources and the guarantee of a sustainable supply are contingent upon the effective involvement of stakeholders in decision-making. Stakeholder engagement has the potential to improve investment in the sector, save time and money, and strengthen relationships between funding agencies, governing bodies, project implementing units and local communities as water scarcity increases due to stressors such as population growth, climate change, and aging infrastructure. Hence, this paper evaluates the advantages of involving stakeholders in the decision-making process of water production and supply management during the cycle of the project. It investigates the concept of disinterested and hostile stakeholders, which is neglected from the current literature on stakeholder engagement. It argues that practitioners in the water sector tend to engage with stakeholders who are likely to contribute to the project's outputs, while disregarding disinterested and hostile stakeholders who have the potential to compromise the project's outcomes. Hence, the paper intends to investigate the extent to which sustainability of the water sector investment and the development of the most appropriate tools and techniques would be facilitated by the holistic engagement of stakeholders.