Willingness to Pay for Water in Bangladesh: A Contingent Valuation Study

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

There were equal number of males and females in the surveyed households. The dependency population of the surveyed households was 41 percent. Comparing the educational status across sex revels that males have a better standing than females. 43 percent of the total population had no education and 1.15 percent had education from non graded learning institutes. Around 29 percent of the population had education up to class 5; 23 percent had education from class 5 to class 10; and only 2 percent attended from class 10 to 12. Only 1 percent of the total population had graduate level or even higher education. Only 16 percent of the surveyed households reported an incidence of diarrhea of any of its members and 45 percent of the households were found to be a member of an NGO.

Majority of the households used own tube well for washing utensils (41 percent), bathing (37 percent) and after defecation purposes (41 percent); and shared tube well was mainly used for drinking (50 percent) and cooking (45 percent) purposes in the dry season. Most of the households relied on a shared tube well for drinking and cooking water in the rainy season. The major source of water for washing utensils (42 percent) and after defecation (42 percent) was own tube well; whereas other type of sources (37 percent) was used for bathing purposes. Only a small number of households were found to be connected to supply/tap/piped water connection; as a permanent water source 35 percent of the households had own tube well, 24 percent had a shared tube well and only 8 percent had other types of sources. 29 percent of the households using own tube well had sufficient water availability

69 percent of the households heard about arsenic, 33 percent of the respondents could name at least one disease related to arsenic and only 1 percent could tell a second disease related to arsenic. Major proportions (93 percent) of the respondents are aware of at least one disease caused by polluted water and 57 percent of the respondents are aware to two disease caused by polluted water. 70 percent of the respondents could tell a proper method/way to purify polluted water, and 74 percent are aware of any prevention method to avoid water borne disease.

A small number of households (36 percent) had access to electricity, 22 percent owned or shared radio and 25 percent owned or shared a television. A small number of households (12 percent) owned/shared a rickshaw and a considerable number (36 percent) of households owned/shared a cycle. 44 percent of the households had silver jewelry and 43 percent of the households owned a timber tree.

Most of the households were found to bid less than Tk.25 per month for a new water source. Of the households who were interested in having a new water source and subsequently had a bid, majority (85 percent) were interested in having a new own tube well, followed