scholarly journals Cross-subsidies for improved sanitation in low income settlements: Assessing the willingness to pay of water utility customers in Kenyan cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
pp. 160-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charisma Acey ◽  
Joyce Kisiangani ◽  
Patrick Ronoh ◽  
Caroline Delaire ◽  
Evelyn Makena ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Mariwah ◽  
Kate Hampshire ◽  
Constance Owusu-Antwi

Rapid urban growth in developing countries has led to an increase in unplanned, high-density settlements dependent on public toilets for sanitation, yet we know relatively little about users' perceptions and concerns about such facilities. This paper seeks to explore user satisfaction and willingness to pay for improved sanitation services in Accra. Utilising a questionnaire, data were gathered from 245 users of public toilets in two low-income communities of Accra. 80.8% of users expressed overall dissatisfaction with the public toilets, the main areas of concern being: long queues and waiting times, unpleasant smells, dirtiness, concerns about security and lack of running water and soap. The majority of the respondents said that they would be willing to pay higher fees for improved services. Operators should take note of this and explore the potential market for building and maintaining high-quality public toilet facilities as a means to ending open defecation and getting on the first step on the sanitation ladder.


Author(s):  
Rachel Peletz ◽  
Caroline Delaire ◽  
Joan Kones ◽  
Clara MacLeod ◽  
Edinah Samuel ◽  
...  

Unsafe sanitation is an increasing public health concern for rapidly expanding cities in low-income countries. Understanding household demand for improved sanitation infrastructure is critical for planning effective sanitation investments. In this study, we compared the stated and revealed willingness to pay (WTP) for high-quality, pour-flush latrines among households in low-income areas in the city of Nakuru, Kenya. We found that stated WTP for high-quality, pour-flush latrines was much lower than market prices: less than 5% of households were willing to pay the full costs, which we estimated between 87,100–82,900 Kenyan Shillings (KES), or 871–829 USD. In addition, we found large discrepancies between stated and revealed WTP. For example, 90% of households stated that they would be willing to pay a discounted amount of 10,000 KES (100 USD) for a high-quality, pour-flush latrine, but only 10% of households redeemed vouchers at this price point (paid via six installment payments). Households reported that financial constraints (i.e., lack of cash, other spending priorities) were the main barriers to voucher redemption, even at highly discounted prices. Our results emphasize the importance of financial interventions that address the sizable gaps between the costs of sanitation products and customer demand among low-income populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-59
Author(s):  
Anom Dwi Prakoso

  Background: The Indonesian Government's target of Universal Coverage or 100% Health Insurance participation by 2019 failed to be achieved, even until the end of October 2020. The failure of universal coverage resulted in BPJS Health's finances getting worse after experiencing a deficit. Informal sector workers are the most dominant sector that has not participated in the Health Insurance scheme, totaling 30,487,891 workers. Low income, uncertainty each month, and the increase in contributions resulted in a decrease in Willingness to pay Health Insurance contributions. Research purposes: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of income, knowledge, and disease susceptibility to the willingness to pay (WTP) of health insurance contributions to informal sector workers. Method: This cross-sectional research was conducted in Kudus Regency, Central Java in January-February 2020. Sampling used purposive sampling with a total of 200 informal sector workers who had not yet participated in BPJS Kesehatan. The dependent variable is a willingness to pay. The independent variables are income, knowledge, and disease susceptibility. Data collection using a questionnaire and data analysis with logistic regression. Result: Willingness To Pay health insurance contributions for informal sector workers increased in income ≥Rp 2,218,451 (b = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.01-3.55; p = 0.044), high knowledge (b = 4.64; 95% CI = 2.36-8.31; p <0.001), high disease susceptibility (b = 3.01; 95% CI = 0.26-5.75; p = 0.031). Conclusion: Income, knowledge, and disease vulnerability have a significant effect on the willingness to pay for health insurance contributions for informal sector workers.   Keywords: Universal Health Coverage; Willingness To Pay; Health Insurance; informal sector workers.


Author(s):  
Nathaniel Hendren

Abstract The willingness to pay for insurance captures the value of insurance against only the risk that remains when choices are observed. This article develops tools to measure the ex ante expected utility impact of insurance subsidies and mandates when choices are observed after some insurable information is revealed. The approach retains the transparency of using reduced-form willingness to pay and cost curves, but it adds one additional sufficient statistic: the percentage difference in marginal utilities between insured and uninsured. I provide an approach to estimate this additional statistic that uses only the reduced-form willingness to pay curve, combined with a measure of risk aversion. I compare the approach to structural approaches that require fully specifying the choice environment and information sets of individuals. I apply the approach using existing willingness to pay and cost curve estimates from the low-income health insurance exchange in Massachusetts. Ex ante optimal insurance prices are roughly 30% lower than prices that maximize observed market surplus. While mandates reduce market surplus, the results suggest they would actually increase ex ante expected utility.


Water Policy ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silver Mugisha ◽  
Sanford V. Berg ◽  
William T. Muhairwe

The achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 requires significant managerial innovation and creativity, especially in low-income countries where utility inefficiencies are still most prevalent. This paper describes approaches that have been used in Uganda's National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). We outline the potential for internal incentive contracts in delivering efficiency gains under public–public water management settings. No simple recipe for promoting efficiency exists. However, this paper highlights useful ingredients, including proper contract framework design, competition for managerial responsibility, effective business planning, performance monitoring and the use of managerial incentives. We conclude that these factors require careful consideration during the planning and implementation of incentive contracts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 374-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Obeng ◽  
Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng ◽  
Bernard Keraita ◽  
Henrik Bregnhøj ◽  
Robert C. Abaidoo ◽  
...  

Abstract The ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine has the potential to address the challenge of access to improved sanitation in built-up low-income settings. However, its conventional technical design fails to address the needs and preferences of some users. The objective of this paper was to test the technical performance of modified engineering designs of the technology to respond to some preferences of toilet users. The entry of air from multiple windows in the superstructure and installation of insect screens in windows were tested in an experimental VIP latrine. The modified design achieved the recommended ventilation rate of 20 m3/h when a vent pipe diameter of 150 mm was used. The study concludes that adopting a multidirectional airflow design leads to a lower ventilation rate as compared to the conventional design. However, when fitted with the recommended size of vent pipe, this modified design achieves more than twice the recommended ventilation rate with or without an insect screen installed in the windows. Nevertheless, the practice in which 100 mm diameter vent pipes are used with insect screens installed in windows is likely to lead to odour problems due to inadequate ventilation through the vent pipe.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Okurut ◽  
R. N. Kulabako ◽  
P. Abbott ◽  
J. M. Adogo ◽  
J. Chenoweth ◽  
...  

Throughout Africa, the population in urban areas is increasing rapidly, often exceeding the capacity and the resources of the cities and towns to accommodate the people. In sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of urban dwellers live in informal settlements served by inadequate sanitation facilities. These settlements present unique challenges to the provision of sustainable and hygienic sanitation, and there is insufficient information on access to improved facilities. This paper reports findings of a study undertaken in low-income informal settlements using a mixed methods approach to assess access to sanitation and identify the barriers to household uptake of improved sanitation facilities. More than half of the respondents (59.7%) reported using sanitation facilities that are included in the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme definition of improved sanitation. However, a high proportion of these facilities did not provide access to basic sanitation. Less than 5% of all the respondents did not report problems related to sustainable access to basic sanitation. The findings highlight the urgent need to develop specific and strategic interventions for each low-income informal settlement, to upscale the sustainable access and use of improved sanitation in urban centres.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Chunga ◽  
M. W. Jenkins ◽  
Jeroen Ensink ◽  
Joe Brown

Abstract We carried out a stated preference survey in Malawi to examine whether access to microfinance for sanitation would significantly increase the proportion of households upgrading to improved pit latrines or alternative improved sanitation technologies (urine diverting dry toilet, fossa alterna, pour flush). We presented a range of sanitation options at local market prices, initially without and then with a real microfinance option, to 1,300 households sampled across 27 low-income urban settlements in the two largest cities, Lilongwe and Blantyre. When we gave respondents a microfinance option, the proportion of households stating an intention to install improved and unimproved pit latrines decreased significantly, while the proportion stating an intention to upgrade to alternative improved sanitation technologies increased significantly. However, households in the lowest wealth quintile were more likely to state a preference for unimproved pit latrines, suggesting that the benefits of microfinance for sanitation may not accrue equally across wealth strata. Organisations seeking to improve access to safely managed sanitation by promoting alternative sanitation technologies would succeed if households have access to affordable alternative sanitation technologies and microfinance for sanitation. However, poorer households would need more affordable improved sanitation technologies, flexible microfinance options and possibly targeted subsidies to gain access to safely managed sanitation.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2881
Author(s):  
Kaley Carman ◽  
Lauren H. Sweeney ◽  
Lisa A. House ◽  
Anne E. Mathews ◽  
Karla P. Shelnutt

Food insecurity is a persistent issue among individuals with low income and is associated with various nutrition- and health-related consequences. Creative approaches to increasing food access should be investigated as possible solutions. Meal kits, which are boxes or bags of fresh and shelf-stable ingredients for one or more meals, along with a step-by-step recipe showing how to cook each meal at home, may serve as a creative solution. Meal kits have historically been marketed to higher-income demographics. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the utilization, acceptability, and willingness to pay for a healthy meal kit program among African American main food preparers with children and low income (n = 36). Participants received a healthy meal kit with three recipes and ingredients, a cooking incentive, and a nutrition handout weekly for six weeks. Data were collected on participants’ use, acceptability, and willingness to pay for the meal kits and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The intervention was highly utilized, and participants reported high acceptability ratings for most recipes. After the intervention, participants were willing to pay $88.61 ± 47.47 for a meal kit with three meals, each with four portions, which was higher than indicated at baseline and similar to the cost to produce the kits. Meal kits may offer a creative solution to improving food access if affordable for families with low income.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ari Sandhyavitri ◽  
Nessa Riana Putri ◽  
Manyuk Fauzi ◽  
Sigit Sitikno

This paper investigated how much the public's willingness to pay (WTP) for the cost of public water supply services (PDAM) in Pekanbaru City. This research also projected how much urban water demand of this city for period of 2014-2032. This study divided samples into two categories, namely (i) middle and high income society, and (ii) low income one. These categories were based on the type of house ownership, and the percentage of low income family in this city This research obtained two main factors affected to the WTP for public water services (Y), such as; (i) the number of family members (X1), and (ii) the amount of family income (X2). The equation formula of Y = -677.816 + 12934.502 X1 + 0.012 X2. The average publics willingness to connect to PDAM for the middle and high income society was 62.13% and for the lower class was 44.44%.There was a trend that the middle and high incomes societys water demand was relatively higher than that the lower one. The amount of water tariffs for middle and high income class society was at the average of Rp.6.615 / m3, and Rp.4.971/m3 for the lower income one. This tariff was higher than the average tariff in 2014 (Rp. 3,300 / m3). The water supply capacity in 2014 was estimated to 620 l/sec, and it was projected that water demand in 2032 will increase to 3,946 l/sec (three folds).Tulisan ini meneliti berapa besar keinginan masyarakat untuk membayar biaya pelayanan pengadaan air bersih (PDAM) di Kota Pekanbaru dan membuat proyeksi kebutuhan air bersih Kota Pekanbaru 2014-2032. Sampel calon pelanggan air bersih dalam penelitian ini dibagi atas dua kategori, yaitu (i) masyarakat kelas menengah keatas,dan (ii) kelas menengah kebawah. Penelitian ini mengidentifikasi dua faktor utama yang mepengaruhi keinginan masyarakat menengah ke atas membayar pelayanan air bersih PDAM (Y), yaitu; (i) jumlah anggota keluarga (X1), dan (ii) besarnya pendapatan keluarga (X2), dengan formula Y= -677,816 + 12934,502 X1 + 0,012 X2. Keinginan untuk menyambung pada masyarakat menengah keatas sebesar 62,13% dan di kelas menengah kebawah adalah 44,44%. Besarnya tarif air bersih yang diinginkan masyarakat menengah keatas Rp.6.615/m3 dan Rp.4.971/m3 untuk kelas menengah kebawah.Tarif ini lebih tinggi dari rata-rata tarif PDAM pada tahun 2014 yaitu Rp. 3.300/m3.Kapasitas pasokan PDAM air pada tahun 2014 adalah 620 l/detik, namun diproyeksikan kebutuhan air bersih meningkat menjadi 3.946 ll / detik untuk tahun 2032.


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