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Economic value of safe water for the infrastructurally disadvantaged urban household: A case study in Delhi, India
Author(s) -
Dasgupta Purnamita,
Dasgupta Rajib
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2003wr002461
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , urbanization , valuation (finance) , contingent valuation , context (archaeology) , population , business , water quality , natural resource economics , socioeconomics , economics , water resource management , geography , economic growth , environmental science , willingness to pay , environmental health , archaeology , medicine , ecology , finance , biology , microeconomics
Delhi has witnessed rapid urbanization during the past 50 years, with ever increasing growth in population and economic activity leading to water stress in several parts of the city. This paper looks at the valuation of water as an economic resource in the context of a low‐income, infrastructurally disadvantaged urban household, through the results of a primary survey. In doing so, it examines several issues, often interlinked, concerning the quality and quantity of water being “accessed” by households. While there is no one perfect way of estimating household demand for improved water services, the study uses the contingent valuation approach and evaluates the findings in terms of the health benefits from safe water and the costs of provision of safe supplies.