​This working paper looks at the case of Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso, and the Ziga dam and reservoir, and supports the ethos that cities take - or are given - priority over rural areas in terms of water allocation.  In this case, the basis of the claim is political power by the central government. Yet the economic rationality of this decison has not been evaluated, and the principle of 'equity' of access to water for rural communities has been overlooked. This working paper aims to address these issues.

Peter Newborne; Josephine Tucker