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The impact of piped water supply on household welfare

Author

Listed:
  • Tsukada, Rachel

    (UNU-MERIT)

  • Hailu, Degol

    (United Nations Development Programme)

Abstract

In the absence of piped water from a utility company, households rely on alternative supply from small-scale private providers. We quantify losses of wellbeing associated with using small-scale private providers instead of piped water from the utility company. We measure welfare in three dimensions: health, wealth (income), and time available for education, work, or leisure. An empirical application to Burkina Faso reveals that households' greatest welfare losses are in terms of time availability. The opportunity cost of collecting water is estimated to be 23 hours per week, which is comparable to half of a full weekly working period of an employed person. This loss is often borne by women. In terms of health and affordability of water, paradoxically, households using alternative sources of water are slightly better off.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsukada, Rachel & Hailu, Degol, 2016. "The impact of piped water supply on household welfare," MERIT Working Papers 2016-046, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2016046
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    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2016/wp2016-046.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gamper-Rabindran, Shanti & Khan, Shakeeb & Timmins, Christopher, 2010. "The impact of piped water provision on infant mortality in Brazil: A quantile panel data approach," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 188-200, July.
    2. Jalan, Jyotsna & Ravallion, Martin, 2003. "Does piped water reduce diarrhea for children in rural India?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 153-173, January.
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    4. Whittington, Dale & Lauria, Donald T. & Mu, Xinming, 1991. "A study of water vending and willingness to pay for water in Onitsha, Nigeria," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 19(2-3), pages 179-198.
    5. Degol Hailu & Raquel Tsukada, 2011. "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: A Measure of Progress," Working Papers 78, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    6. Michael Kremer & Jessica Leino & Edward Miguel & Alix Peterson Zwane, 2011. "Spring Cleaning: Rural Water Impacts, Valuation, and Property Rights Institutions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(1), pages 145-205.
    7. Kariuki, Mukami & Schwartz, Jordan, 2005. "Small-scale private service providers of water supply and electricity : a review of incidence, structure, pricing, and operating characteristics," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3727, The World Bank.
    8. C. Mark Blackden & Quentin Wodon, 2006. "Gender, Time Use, and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7214, December.
    9. Guido W. Imbens, 2004. "Nonparametric Estimation of Average Treatment Effects Under Exogeneity: A Review," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(1), pages 4-29, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dian Rarassanti & Alin Halimatussadiah & Fithra Faisal Hastiadi & Pyan Putro S. A. Muchtar, 2016. "Does piped water improve the welfare of poor households?," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(3), pages 119-134.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    piped water; small-scale private provision; welfare loss; synthetic index;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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