Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia
Access to safe sanitation is a basic requirement for human well-being and is critical for protecting public health and preventing environmental contamination at the community level. The increasing global risk of climate-related disasters exacerbates the likelihood of traditional sanitation solutions...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IWA Publishing
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/13/12/931 |
| Summary: | Access to safe sanitation is a basic requirement for human well-being and is critical for protecting public health and preventing environmental contamination at the community level. The increasing global risk of climate-related disasters exacerbates the likelihood of traditional sanitation solutions failing and exposing communities to harmful pathogens. This risk is ubiquitous in Cambodia's flood-prone Tonle Sap Lake region, which has some of the lowest rates of sanitation coverage in the country. This study sought to design and test a targeted mechanism in the region to deliver sanitation subsidies to households in a vulnerable position due to climate and socioeconomic characteristics. Subsidy eligibility was evaluated using the poverty probability index for Cambodia, with thresholds set according to households' individual and community-level climate vulnerability. In a randomized controlled trial, offering subsidies increased the likelihood of successful sales conversions for climate-resilient latrine products among targeted households by 32 percentage points, indicating effectiveness for increasing market-based sanitation uptake. The research did not find evidence of widespread or sustained market distortion due to the subsidy program.
HIGHLIGHTS
Being offered a subsidy increased the likelihood that a given household would purchase a latrine by 31% (over ineligible comparison households).;
The sales closing rate among eligible households in treatment areas was 38% compared to 6% among ineligible treatment households.;
When offered a subsidy, households who were climate vulnerable were most likely to purchase a latrine.;
No evidence of significant market distortion due to the subsidy was identified.; |
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| ISSN: | 2043-9083 2408-9362 |