Access to urban basic services and determinants of satisfaction: a comparison by non-slum and slum dwellers in Dhaka city

Abstract

Dhaka has experienced rapid urbanization in recent decades. However, the city’s infrastructure and basic utility service provisions lag behind its physical expansion making it one of the least livable cities in the world. The government of Bangladesh provides various utility services viz., water, electricity, waste collection, among others, to urban dwellers. However, the satisfaction level of those utility services among the recipients varies widely. This paper has examined the end-users’ satisfaction level- considering both slum and non-slum consumers- of three key utility services namely, water and sanitation, waste management and electricity in Dhaka city. The study has also identified the determinants of satisfaction level of those services. Based on survey data, the current level of satisfaction is examined through Likert data analysis (median and mode reported) and the determinants of the level of satisfaction are identified through regression analysis. It is found that majority of the households’ satisfaction level for the aforementioned services are lower irrespective of slum and non-slum consumers. It is also observed that people living in non-slums are better-off vis-à-vis their counterparts living in slums. However, the satisfaction level of the latter is relatively higher than the former. Determinants of satisfaction for individual utility services are reported in the paper.