IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unu/wpaper/wp-2025-97.html

Cisterns for life: climate adaptation policies for water provision and rural lives

Author

Listed:
  • Yuri Barreto
  • Diogo G.C. Britto
  • Bladimir Carrillo
  • Daniel Da Mata
  • Lucas Emanuel
  • Breno Sampaio

Abstract

Billions of people worldwide travel long distances daily to fetch water that is often unsafe for human consumption. Climate change is expected to exacerbate this critical issue, which threatens the economic development of dry areas in addition to posing health risks. This paper evaluates a large-scale, low-cost climate adaptation programme that built one million rain-fed water storage cisterns in Brazil's poorest and most drought-prone region.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuri Barreto & Diogo G.C. Britto & Bladimir Carrillo & Daniel Da Mata & Lucas Emanuel & Breno Sampaio, 2025. "Cisterns for life: climate adaptation policies for water provision and rural lives," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2025-97, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-97
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/Publications/Working-paper/PDF/wp2025-97-cisterns-for-life-climate-adaptation-policies-water-provision-rural-lives.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pascaline Dupas & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Robinson & Diego Ubfal, 2018. "Banking the Unbanked? Evidence from Three Countries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 257-297, April.
    2. Rocha, Rudi & Soares, Rodrigo R., 2015. "Water scarcity and birth outcomes in the Brazilian semiarid," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 72-91.
    3. Kyle Emerick & Alain de Janvry & Elisabeth Sadoulet & Manzoor H. Dar, 2016. "Technological Innovations, Downside Risk, and the Modernization of Agriculture," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(6), pages 1537-1561, June.
    4. Thomas Le Barbanchon & Roland Rathelot & Alexandra Roulet, 2025. "Gender Differences in Job Search: Trading off Commute against Wage," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(1), pages 381-426.
    5. Filippo Pavanello & Enrica Cian & Marinella Davide & Malcolm Mistry & Talita Cruz & Paula Bezerra & Dattakiran Jagu & Sebastian Renner & Roberto Schaeffer & André F. P. Lucena, 2022. "Author Correction: Air-conditioning and the adaptation cooling deficit in emerging economies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-1, December.
    6. Randazzo, Teresa & Pavanello, Filippo & De Cian, Enrica, 2023. "Adaptation to climate change: Air-conditioning and the role of remittances," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    7. Da Mata, Daniel & Resende, Guilherme, 2020. "Changing the climate for banking: The economic effects of credit in a climate-vulnerable area," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    8. Gabriel Ulyssea, 2020. "Informality: Causes and Consequences for Development," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 525-546, August.
    9. Filomena Pietrapertosa & Marta Olazabal & Sofia Simoes & Monica Salvia & Paris Fokaides & Byron Ioannou & Vincent Viguié & Niki-Artemis Spyridaki & Sonia de Gregorio Hurtado & Davide Geneletti & Olive, 2023. "Adaptation to climate change in cities of Mediterranean Europe," Post-Print hal-04501694, HAL.
    10. 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.
    11. Robert W. Hahn & Nathaniel Hendren & Robert D. Metcalfe & Ben Sprung-Keyser, 2024. "A Welfare Analysis of Policies Impacting Climate Change," NBER Working Papers 32728, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Gustavo J. Bobonis & Paul J. Gertler & Marco Gonzalez-Navarro & Simeon Nichter, 2022. "Vulnerability and Clientelism," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(11), pages 3627-3659, November.
    13. Li, Yuanzhe & Xi, Tianyang & Zhou, Li-An, 2024. "Drinking water facilities and inclusive development: Evidence from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    14. Zhang, Jing, 2012. "The impact of water quality on health: Evidence from the drinking water infrastructure program in rural China," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 122-134.
    15. Niklas Engbom & Christian Moser, 2022. "Earnings Inequality and the Minimum Wage: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(12), pages 3803-3847, December.
    16. Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Rocha, Rudi & Soares, Rodrigo R., 2019. "Does Universalization of Health Work? Evidence from Health Systems Restructuring and Expansion in Brazil," IZA Discussion Papers 12111, IZA Network @ LISER.
    17. Sebastian Galiani & Paul Gertler & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2005. "Water for Life: The Impact of the Privatization of Water Services on Child Mortality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(1), pages 83-120, February.
    18. Melissa Dell & Benjamin F. Jones & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "What Do We Learn from the Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 740-798, September.
    19. Fernanda Brollo & Katja Kaufmann & Eliana La Ferrara, 2020. "The Political Economy of Program Enforcement: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(2), pages 750-791.
    20. Gazze, Ludovica & Heissel, Jennifer, 2021. "Infrastructure upgrades and lead exposure: Do cities face trade-offs when replacing water mains?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    21. Taryn Dinkelman, 2017. "Long‐Run Health Repercussions of Drought Shocks: Evidence from South African Homelands," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 127(604), pages 1906-1939.
    22. Alistair W. R. Seddon & Marc Macias-Fauria & Peter R. Long & David Benz & Kathy J. Willis, 2016. "Sensitivity of global terrestrial ecosystems to climate variability," Nature, Nature, vol. 531(7593), pages 229-232, March.
    23. Xin Dong & Tianyi Zhang & Xiaoguang Yang & Tao Li, 2023. "Breeding priorities for rice adaptation to climate change in Northeast China," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(6), pages 1-19, June.
    24. Abhijit Banerjee & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2015. "Six Randomized Evaluations of Microcredit: Introduction and Further Steps," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
    25. Francisco J. Buera & Joseph P. Kaboski & Yongseok Shin, 2015. "Entrepreneurship and Financial Frictions: A Macrodevelopment Perspective," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 409-436, August.
    26. Diego Pereira Lindoso & Flávio Eiró & Marcel Bursztyn & Saulo Rodrigues-Filho & Stephanie Nasuti, 2018. "Harvesting Water for Living with Drought: Insights from the Brazilian Human Coexistence with Semi-Aridity Approach towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, February.
    27. Robyn C. Meeks, 2017. "Water Works: The Economic Impact of Water Infrastructure," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 52(4), pages 1119-1153.
    28. Da Mata, Daniel & Emanuel, Lucas & Pereira, Vitor & Sampaio, Breno, 2023. "Climate adaptation policies and infant health: Evidence from a water policy in Brazil," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    29. Nathaniel Hendren & Ben Sprung-Keyser, 2020. "A Unified Welfare Analysis of Government Policies," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(3), pages 1209-1318.
    30. Maximilian Auffhammer & Tamma A. Carleton, 2018. "Regional Crop Diversity and Weather Shocks in India," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 35(2), pages 113-130, September.
    31. Mintz, E.D. & Bartram, J. & Lochery, P. & Wegelin, M., 2001. "Not just a drop in the bucket: Expanding access to point-of-use water treatment systems," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(10), pages 1565-1570.
    32. Patricia Justino & Gabriel Monteiro & Rodrigo Oliveira & Edson Severnini, 2025. "Weathering challenges: Distributional impacts of climatic shocks on household consumption in Mozambique," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2025-3, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Yuanzhe & Xi, Tianyang & Zhou, Li-An, 2024. "Drinking water facilities and inclusive development: Evidence from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    2. Da Mata, Daniel & Emanuel, Lucas & Pereira, Vitor & Sampaio, Breno, 2023. "Climate adaptation policies and infant health: Evidence from a water policy in Brazil," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    3. Hongliang Zhang & Shang Xu, 2025. "Climate Change, Air Conditioning Adoption, and Household Electricity Use: Evidence from the Northwestern United States," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 88(9), pages 2469-2501, September.
    4. Xuhang Shen & Ziqi Wang & Shi Li, 2023. "Access to Piped Water and Off-Farm Work Participation: Evidence from Rural China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Taraz, Vis, 2023. "Public works programmes and agricultural risk: Evidence from India," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 67(02), January.
    6. Chen, Mingcong & Sun, Qiqi & Tang, Lizhi, 2025. "The impact of tap water on household vulnerability to poverty: Evidence from rural China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    7. Xiaojun Yu & Russell Smyth & Yao Yao & Quanda Zhang, 2024. "Water stress and industrial firm productivity: Evidence from China," Monash Economics Working Papers 2024-20, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    8. Li, Li & Xiao, Yun, 2023. "Beyond boiling: The effect of in utero exposure to treated tap water on childhood health," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    9. Sheila Olmstead & Jiameng Zheng, 2019. "Policy Instruments for Water Pollution Control in Developing Countries," World Bank Publications - Reports 33072, The World Bank Group.
    10. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Menon, Nidhiya, 2024. "Climate Shocks, Intimate Partner Violence, and the Protective Role of Climate-Resilience Projects," IZA Discussion Papers 17529, IZA Network @ LISER.
    11. Meeks, Robyn, 2018. "Property Rights and Water Access: Evidence from Land Titling in Rural Peru," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 345-357.
    12. Yasuharu SHIMAMURA & Hiroshi NISHINO & Hirofumi TSURUTA & Keitaro AOYAGI, 2017. "Effect of Groundwater Development Project on Diarrhea Incidence in Rural Zambia," GSICS Working Paper Series 31, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University.
    13. Lovo, Stefania & Veronesi, Marcella, 2019. "Crop Diversification and Child Health: Empirical Evidence From Tanzania," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 168-179.
    14. Fan Wang, 2022. "An Empirical Equilibrium Model of Formal and Informal Credit Markets in Developing Countries," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 46, pages 224-243, October.
    15. Fruttero, Anna & Halim, Daniel & Broccolini, Chiara & Coelho, Bernardo & Gninafon, Horace Mahugnon Akim & Muller, Noel, 2023. "Gendered Impacts of Climate Change : Evidence from Weather Shocks," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10442, The World Bank.
    16. Li, Xue & Smyth, Russell & Yao, Yao, 2023. "Extreme temperatures and out-of-pocket medical expenditure: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Martin Paul Tabe‐Ojong & Guyo Godana Dureti, 2025. "Social and Financial Barriers to Safe (Drinking) Water and Sanitation: The Role of Development Agents in Ethiopia," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(6), pages 1255-1266, August.
    18. Patricia I. Ritter, 2024. "The unintended effect of piped water at home on childhood overweight rate: experimental evidence from urban Morocco," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1089-1126, September.
    19. Cavalcanti, Francisco, 2018. "Voters sometimes provide the wrong incentives. The lesson of the Brazilian drought industry," MPRA Paper 88317, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Liu, Yingjie & Tan, Ying & Zhang, Xun, 2024. "The long-term economic impact of water quality: Evidence from rural drinking water program in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-97. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Siméon Rapin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/widerfi.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.