Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications

Nearly one-quarter of the world's population lacks effective access to safe drinking water (SDW). The discovery and implementation of affordable and workable measures to supply safe affordable drinking water internationally remains elusive. Few works have examined a range of economic, instituti...

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Main Authors: Leila Shadabi, Frank A. Ward
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IWA Publishing 2022-06-01
Series:Water Policy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://wp.iwaponline.com/content/24/6/1034
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author Leila Shadabi
Frank A. Ward
author_facet Leila Shadabi
Frank A. Ward
author_sort Leila Shadabi
collection DOAJ
description Nearly one-quarter of the world's population lacks effective access to safe drinking water (SDW). The discovery and implementation of affordable and workable measures to supply safe affordable drinking water internationally remains elusive. Few works have examined a range of economic, institutional, and governance factors influencing that access. To address these gaps in the literature, the current study investigates the role of selected economic, demographic, and hydrologic characteristics as well as institutional and governance indicators, all of which could contribute to explaining access to SDW internationally. It estimates regression models based on data from 74 countries for the period 2012–2017. Results contribute to our understanding of factors that are significant at influencing access to SDW. Results show that demographic, economic, size of the public sector, governance, and educational factors all play important roles. Surprisingly, the avoidance of high levels of corruption and the protection of high levels of civil liberties reveal weaker-than-expected effects. Results carry important implications for informing choices facing communities who seek economically affordable measures to provide access to safe affordable drinking water. HIGHLIGHTS • Nearly one-third of the world's population lacks affordable access to safe drinking water (SDW).; • Common approaches to discover predictors of improved drinking water have focused on engineering, biological, and technical factors.; • This paper searches for the most important non-technical predictors of access to SDW internationally.; • Findings carry important policy implications;
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spelling doaj.art-b9629542265b48b49d1e35f854e72ec42022-12-22T03:41:18ZengIWA PublishingWater Policy1366-70171996-97592022-06-012461034106010.2166/wp.2022.037037Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implicationsLeila Shadabi0Frank A. Ward1 Water, Science and Management Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88011, USA Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, Water Science and Management, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88011, USA Nearly one-quarter of the world's population lacks effective access to safe drinking water (SDW). The discovery and implementation of affordable and workable measures to supply safe affordable drinking water internationally remains elusive. Few works have examined a range of economic, institutional, and governance factors influencing that access. To address these gaps in the literature, the current study investigates the role of selected economic, demographic, and hydrologic characteristics as well as institutional and governance indicators, all of which could contribute to explaining access to SDW internationally. It estimates regression models based on data from 74 countries for the period 2012–2017. Results contribute to our understanding of factors that are significant at influencing access to SDW. Results show that demographic, economic, size of the public sector, governance, and educational factors all play important roles. Surprisingly, the avoidance of high levels of corruption and the protection of high levels of civil liberties reveal weaker-than-expected effects. Results carry important implications for informing choices facing communities who seek economically affordable measures to provide access to safe affordable drinking water. HIGHLIGHTS • Nearly one-third of the world's population lacks affordable access to safe drinking water (SDW).; • Common approaches to discover predictors of improved drinking water have focused on engineering, biological, and technical factors.; • This paper searches for the most important non-technical predictors of access to SDW internationally.; • Findings carry important policy implications;http://wp.iwaponline.com/content/24/6/1034economicsgovernancepolicysafe drinking water
spellingShingle Leila Shadabi
Frank A. Ward
Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications
Water Policy
economics
governance
policy
safe drinking water
title Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications
title_full Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications
title_fullStr Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications
title_full_unstemmed Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications
title_short Predictors of access to safe drinking water: policy implications
title_sort predictors of access to safe drinking water policy implications
topic economics
governance
policy
safe drinking water
url http://wp.iwaponline.com/content/24/6/1034
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