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 |
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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 |
| _version_ | 1797368851966459904 |
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| author | Tyler Kozole Marlaina Ross Chris Nicoletti Jennifer Rogla Nate Ives Amjad Ali Ratsamnang Prom |
| author_facet | Tyler Kozole Marlaina Ross Chris Nicoletti Jennifer Rogla Nate Ives Amjad Ali Ratsamnang Prom |
| author_sort | Tyler Kozole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:38:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1963ad2676a94dc6a2d5ee1fac566ddb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2043-9083 2408-9362 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:38:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-1963ad2676a94dc6a2d5ee1fac566ddb2024-01-02T11:27:32ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development2043-90832408-93622023-12-01131293194010.2166/washdev.2023.039039Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural CambodiaTyler Kozole0Marlaina Ross1Chris Nicoletti2Jennifer Rogla3Nate Ives4Amjad Ali5Ratsamnang Prom6 WASH Program, iDE Cambodia, 97A, St. Taphon (19BT), Boeung Tumpun 12351, Cambodia Cambodia, Causal Design, 1159 National Road 2, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Splash International, 1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning, iDE, 1031 33rd St #270, Denver, CO 80205, USA Resilience Metrics, USAID, 528 Roxboro Pl NW, Washington, DC 20011, USA Causal Design, 1159 National Road 2, Phnom Penh, Cambodia M&E, iDE Cambodia, 97A, St. Taphon (19BT), Boeung Tumpun 12351, 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 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.;http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/13/12/931climate resilienceclimate smart sanitationclimate vulnerabilityopen defecation freesanitationsubsidies |
| spellingShingle | Tyler Kozole Marlaina Ross Chris Nicoletti Jennifer Rogla Nate Ives Amjad Ali Ratsamnang Prom Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development climate resilience climate smart sanitation climate vulnerability open defecation free sanitation subsidies |
| title | Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia |
| title_full | Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia |
| title_fullStr | Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia |
| title_short | Impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate-vulnerable households in rural Cambodia |
| title_sort | impact of targeted subsidies on access to resilient sanitation for climate vulnerable households in rural cambodia |
| topic | climate resilience climate smart sanitation climate vulnerability open defecation free sanitation subsidies |
| url | http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/13/12/931 |
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