Feasibility of Providing Portable Water in Developing Countries : Lessons from Uganda

The recognition to provide basic services in developing countries has been enthusiastically discussed and committed to at forums in the world over time. What has lacked over the same period has been the actual implantation of this. Take safe water for instance; over 1 billion people lack safe water. The benefits of safe water have direct implication for health and productivity of workers. The recognition of the overlapping benefits is suggestive of unconventional methods in the estimation of these. A method that elicits value from users, if properly done, would go along way in informing policy on the true value of these utilities. This book therefore presents an unconventional approach to appraising safe water provision for users in developing countries with reference to Uganda. Safe water benefits, estimated through a user-stated preference method-contingent valuation-are compared with the costs of provision emphasizing best method practices. This book should help economists in public resources' management, environmental and health economists in applying non-market valuation techniques, or anyone eliciting value of an amenity based on user preferences.