Global organization and local arrangements in water distribution in Havana and Bamako.

Summary In Havana and Bamako, water distribution by network is partial. It is limited either in terms of time or geographically. Socio-political regulation is exercised and contributes to the constitution of the networks. In this context, the entry of private companies in the management of the water service is presented as a solution thanks to the international financing of SAUR and AGBAR. However, private participation in the management of the former public companies also corresponds to a change in the distribution of the cost of the infrastructure. This change in the identity of the contributors can be politically destabilizing. In Bamako, it is the middle class, which had previously supported the government, that is being solicited. In Havana, the entry of private enterprise is subjecting the territory to divisions in the quality of service. In both situations, the company's profit is the priority, relegating to the background the beneficial effects of increasing the distribution of quality water. The balance of power between the privatized company and the state is different in the two countries, however. Cuban interests are well aligned with those of the private company (AGBAR), thanks to the majority state ownership of the company that manages the network and the state's ability to control a market that generates foreign exchange. On the other hand, the Malian government has not succeeded in combining the interests of the private sector (SAUR) with its own, in a context where the disparities linked to the poor management of the urban area have been accentuated by the participation of private capital.