{"title":"Expanding Access to Clean Water for the Rural Poor: Experimental Evidence from Malawi","authors":"P. Dupas, B. Nhlema, Z. Wagner, A. Wolf, E. Wroe","doi":"10.3386/w27570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3386/w27570","url":null,"abstract":"Data from an 18-month randomized trial show large and sustained impacts on water purification and child health of a program providing monthly coupons for free water treatment solution to households with young children. The program is more effective and much more cost effective than asking Community Health Workers (CHWs) to distribute free chlorine to households during routine monthly visits. This is because only 40 percent of households use free chlorine, targeting through CHWs is worse than self-targeting through coupon redemption, and water treatment promotion by CHWs does not increase chlorine use among beneficiaries of free chlorine. (JEL I12, I18, J13, O12, O13, Q53)","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114295176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Buchmann, Erica M. Field, R. Glennerster, Reshmaan N. Hussam
{"title":"Throwing the Baby Out with the Drinking Water: Unintended Consequences of Arsenic Mitigation Efforts in Bangladesh","authors":"N. Buchmann, Erica M. Field, R. Glennerster, Reshmaan N. Hussam","doi":"10.3386/W25729","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3386/W25729","url":null,"abstract":"The 1994 discovery of arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh prompted a massive public health campaign that led 20% of the population to switch from backyard wells to less convenient drinking water sources that had a higher risk of fecal contamination. We find evidence of unintended health consequences by comparing mortality trends between households in the same village that did and did not have an incentive to abandon shallow tubewells. Post-campaign, households encouraged to switch water sources have 46% higher rates of child mortality than those not encouraged to switch. Switching away from arsenic-contaminated wells also increased adult mortality.","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"144 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134368885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Water Governance in Spain: The Role of Federalism and Private-Public Partnerships","authors":"M. García-valiñas","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3157137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3157137","url":null,"abstract":"This research provides a broad picture of water sector governance in Spain, a country dealing with serious water stress and quality problems. Moreover, a decentralized structure of regional and local governments supports the design and development of water policies. In this context, governance emerges as a key issue to improve water resources allocation. Several key policies and institutional features have been described, with a special attention to economic instruments and the role of private-public partnerships (PPPs). Definitively, greater efforts in the policy-making and coordination processes are needed in the Spanish water sector.","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121992946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Withdrawing Water from an Aquifer: The Economics","authors":"P. Debaere","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2974630","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2974630","url":null,"abstract":"Water is a renewable natural resource. Driven by solar energy and gravity, the global water cycle indefinitely circulates water through the atmosphere, over continents, and across oceans. On a more local level, however, water sometimes has more of a nonrenewable character because it can be depleted, at least to some degree. Withdrawing too much water from an aquifer that has only limited recharge, for example, diminishes stored water. This note discusses groundwater withdrawal, how it is optimally done, and how it depends on the particular institutional setting. \u0000 \u0000Excerpt \u0000 \u0000UVA-GEM-0119 \u0000 \u0000Feb. 25, 2014 \u0000 \u0000Withdrawing Water from AN Aquifer: THE ECONOMICS \u0000 \u0000Water is a renewable natural resource. Driven by solar energy and gravity, the global water cycle indefinitely circulates water through the atmosphere, over continents, and across oceans. On a more local level, however, water sometimes has more of a nonrenewable character because it can be depleted, at least to some degree. Withdrawing too much water from an aquifer that has only limited recharge, for example, diminishes stored water. This note discusses groundwater withdrawal, how it is optimally done, and how it depends on the particular institutional setting. \u0000 \u0000Unlike surface water, which is measured as a flow over a period of time, groundwater is a stored stock and is measured at a particular moment in time. Withdrawing groundwater now, therefore, will require explicit consideration of future water use: Indeed, using more scarce groundwater today means having less stored for the future. Consequently, water users will want to use available groundwater optimally over time (i.e., they will want to use water in such a way that it achieves the maximum possible benefit over cost, explicitly comparing the benefits and costs of water use at each moment in time). \u0000 \u0000Figure 1. Demand for water and the cost of pumping. \u0000 \u0000. . .","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125505448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Water Cycle, Climate Change, and (Some of) Their Interactions","authors":"P. Debaere, P. D’Odorico","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2974629","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2974629","url":null,"abstract":"This note is assigned in Darden's course elective, \"Global Economics of Water.\" There is more than enough fresh water to satisfy the world's needs. The primary concern, however, is the geographical mismatch between water needs and the availability of water to communities who need it. Hence, a major challenge for the 21st century is to better manage this mismatch. In this note, we focus on one particular factor—climate change—and how it may contribute to future stress on water resources. We lay out the basics of climate change and the hydrological cycle, and we point to some of the intricate ways in which both phenomena are connected. This note does not contain blanket policy recommendations as to how to fight global warming beyond the general statement that the rational response to the risk and uncertainty of higher global temperatures and their associated environmental changes is to take actions that ensure against potentially adverse effects. Excerpt UVA-GEM-0118 Feb. 19, 2014 The Water Cycle, Climate Change and (some OF) their Interactions The world is not running out of water. There is more than enough water to satisfy the world's needs. The primary concern, however, is the geographical mismatch between water needs and the availability of water. Hence, a major challenge for the 21st century is to better manage this mismatch. The availability and use of water is determined by many factors. Discussions about future water scarcity reflect worries about a growing world population, its increasing affluence, and the lifestyle and dietary changes this will entail, as well as concerns about pollution and depletion of surface and groundwater resources. In this note, we focus on one particular factor—climate change—and how it may contribute to future stress on water resources. We strive to lay out the basics of climate change as well as of the hydrological cycle, and we point to some of the intricate ways in which both phenomena are connected. This note does not contain blanket policy recommendations as to how to fight global warming beyond the general statement that the rational response to the risk and uncertainty of higher global temperatures and their associated environmental changes is to take actions that ensure against potentially adverse effects. The Water Cycle . . .","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131184746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Explaining Pathways to Basic and In-Home Water Access Across Low and Middle Income Countries","authors":"Gregory Pierce","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2801172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2801172","url":null,"abstract":"Across low and middle income countries, there has been a policy focus on improving household water access since 1990. Despite this focus, however, there is little rigorous empirical evidence showing which economic, political, geographic, social and institutional factors contribute to variation in access across countries. This study tests different hypothesized pathways to both basic and in-home water access over the period 1950-2010. Findings suggest that concerted multilateral efforts since 1990 have diminished the influence of geographic and cultural deterrents to access. Among non-institutional factors, economic productivity shows the most consistent and positive relationship to access, whereas political evidence is mixed.","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114103866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Strategic Analysis on Water Conservation – An Overview of Global Environment","authors":"Dr. Mohit Sharma, Dr. Sudhinder Chowhan","doi":"10.2139/SSRN.2617236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/SSRN.2617236","url":null,"abstract":"Water conservation and water shortage directives in effect in your community, and especially important to observe good water use rules if your water is from a private well.It is important to know water is essential, but too many of us think it's unlimited - especially in India, where we use more water per capita than anywhere else in the world. The reality is that fresh water is a finite resource that is becoming scarce. While water is constantly being recycled through the earth's water cycle, people are using up our planet's fresh water faster than it can be replenished. A warming climate is drying up our lakes and rivers. In Saskatchewan, as demand grows for expanding irrigation, communities and industrial use, so too does the risk of contamination. The easiest, most cost-effective and powerful thing we can do to protect and preserve water is learn to use less.","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127080305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PSN: Water (Topic)Pub Date : 2014-11-27DOI: 10.1016/J.JHYDROL.2014.08.031
V. Gillet, J. Mckay, G. Keremane
{"title":"Moving from Local to State Water Governance to Resolve a Local Conflict between Irrigated Agriculture and Commercial Forestry in South Australia","authors":"V. Gillet, J. Mckay, G. Keremane","doi":"10.1016/J.JHYDROL.2014.08.031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JHYDROL.2014.08.031","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"142 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127319790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Integrated Risk Assessment Model for the Implementation of Drought Insurance Markets in Spain","authors":"C. Pérez-Blanco, Carlos M. Gómez","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2463140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2463140","url":null,"abstract":"Water is a key input in the production of many goods and services and under certain conditions can become a critical limiting factor with significant impacts on regional development. This is the case of many agricultural European Mediterranean basins, where water deficit during drought events is partially covered by illegal abstractions, mostly from aquifers, which are tolerated by the authorities. Groundwater overexploitation for irrigation has created in these areas an unprecedented environmental catastrophe that threatens ecosystems sustainability, urban water supply and the current model of development. Market-based drought insurance systems have the potential to introduce the necessary incentives to reduce overexploitation during drought events and remove the high costs of the drought indemnity paid by the government. This paper develops a methodology to obtain the optimum risk premium based on concatenated stochastic models. The methodology is applied to the agricultural district of Campo de Cartagena (Segura River Basin, Spain). Results show that the prices in a hypothetic competitive private drought insurance market would be reasonable and the expected environmental outcomes significant.","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130152450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heterogeneous Effects of Information on Household Behaviors to Improve Water Quality","authors":"Joe Brown, Amar Hamoudi, M. Jeuland, G. Turrini","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2467112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2467112","url":null,"abstract":"Providing information about health risks only sometimes induces protective action. This raises questions about whether and how risk information is understood and acted upon, and how responses vary across contexts. We stratified a randomized experiment across two periurban areas in Cambodia, which differed in terms of socioeconomic status and infrastructure. In one area, showing households specific evidence of water contamination altered their beliefs about health risk and increased their demand for a treatment product; in the other area, it had no effect on these outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of identifying specific drivers of responses to health risk information.","PeriodicalId":265317,"journal":{"name":"PSN: Water (Topic)","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131806130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}