Rationale - what it means and why it is an important measure
The quality and reliability of local services are taken for granted in highly industrialized countries, but limited access to, or poor quality of, infrastructure services in developing countries can be major impediments to business productivity, and major sources of frustration to the population.
How it is compiled, what data are needed
Percentage of households that are connected to: (a) piped water; (b) sewerage; (c) electricity; and (d) telephone within their housing units.
Measurements and units
Households connected to electricity (% per year, total numbers) Households connected to piped water (% per year, total numbers) Households connected to sewage (% per year, total numbers) Households connected to telephone (% per year, total numbers)
To minimize the level of frustration of an urban population.
Targets, benchmarks, reference values
No related standards
References to examples of application
Household connections in Prague (CzR): http://www.ceroi.net/reports/prague/issues/Housing/state.htm
Other comments / background
In Buenos Aires, 17 percent of the population live in households that have unsatisfied basic needs (overcrowded households, inadequate housing, poor access to clean drinking water and sanitary infrastructure) compared to 22 per cent in the 1980s (La Serna and others 1997).
