摘要:This article is intended to be a contribution to the discussion on culture and development, the central place that culture must occupy at the heart of development. Criticism of the concept of sustainable development has shown that it does not integrate culture. This discussion is applied in this study to the rural water sector in Africa, which is a key sector of development. Thus, the articulation of culture and sustainable development in the water sector has three aspects. That the local culture of beneficiaries of hydraulic structures providing access to drinking water be taken into account for an economically viable, socially equitable and ecologically viable management and that future generation can benefit from it.