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Women Are Walking and Waiting for Water: The Time Value of Public Water Supply

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  • Elena Gross
  • Isabel Günther
  • Youdi Schipper

Abstract

Funding of the public water supply in developing countries is often justified by the expectation that it significantly decreases the time spent on water collection, leading to increased labor force participation of women. We empirically test this hypothesis for rural Benin. Daily water collection times are reduced by 41 minutes but still take 2 hours after the installation of a public pump. Even though walking distances are reduced, women still spend a lot of time waiting at the water source, and not all women use the improved water source. Moreover, a reduction in time to fill one water container induces women to fill more containers per day. Time savings are rarely followed by an increase in the labor supply of women. The economic value of the annual time savings is 1%–2% of a rural households’ income.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Gross & Isabel Günther & Youdi Schipper, 2018. "Women Are Walking and Waiting for Water: The Time Value of Public Water Supply," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(3), pages 489-517.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/696531
    DOI: 10.1086/696531
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    Cited by:

    1. Yasuharu Shimamura & Satoshi Shimizutani & Shimpei Taguchi & Hiroyuki Yamada, 2021. "Economic Valuation of Safe Water from New Boreholes in Rural Zambia: A Coping Cost Approach with Estimates of Internal Rate of Return," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2021-009, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    2. Derek Headey & Giordano Palloni, 2019. "Water, Sanitation, and Child Health: Evidence From Subnational Panel Data in 59 Countries," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(2), pages 729-752, April.
    3. Frempong, Raymond Boadi & Kitzmüller, Lucas & Stadelmann, David, 2021. "A micro-based approach to evaluate the effect of water supply on health in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    4. Yasuharu Shimamura & Satoshi Shimizutani & Shimpei Taguchi & Hiroyuki Yamada, 2020. "The Impact of Improved Access to Safe Water on Childhood Health, Schooling and Time Allocation in Rural Zambia," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2020-022, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    5. Yasuharu Shimamura & Satoshi Shimizutani & Shimpei Taguchi & Hiroyuki Yamada, 2020. "Improved Access to Safe Water: Effects on Adult Health and Time Reallocation in Rural Zambia," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2020-024, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    6. Pickbourn, Lynda & Caraher, Raymond & Ndikumana, Léonce, 2022. "Does project-level foreign aid increase access to improved water sources? Evidence from household panel data in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).

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