Economic assessments of small-scale drinking-water interventions in pursuit of MDG target 7C.
This paper uses an applied rural case study of a safer water intervention in South Africa to illustrate how three levels of economic assessment can be used to understand the impact of the intervention on people's well-being. It is set in the context of Millennium Development Goal 7 which sets a target (7C) for safe drinking-water provision and the challenges of reaching people in remote rural areas with relatively small-scale schemes. The assessment moves from cost efficiency to cost effectiveness to a full social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA) with an associated sensitivity test. In addition to demonstrating techniques of analysis, the paper brings out many of the challenges in understanding how safer drinking-water impacts on people's livelihoods. The SCBA shows the case study intervention is justified economically, though the sensitivity test suggests 'downside' vulnerability.
International Institute of Social Studies, Den Haage, The Netherlands.
John
J
Cameron
Paul
P
Jagals
Paul R
PR
Hunter
Steve
S
Pedley
Katherine
K
Pond
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003906:Developing Countries; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives / Q000191:economics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013019:South Africa; D014480:United Nations
D060766:Drinking Water