Expanding Economic Perspectives for Sustainability in Urban Water and Sanitation

Abstract

Abstract:The economic principles and tools that are commonly applied to recover costs for urban water and sanitation arise from the dominant perspective of neoclassical economics. In this paper we argue that this perspective, with its emphasis on 'full cost pricing' based on the 'user pays' principle, is too limited for sustainability. We examine two other qualitatively different economic perspectives to demonstrate how they lead to different approaches: ecological economics takes a more holistic approach explicitly committed to sustainability, while Buddhist economics brings ethics to the fore and opens the possibility for cooperation between the various actors in creating solutions to benefit individuals, society and the environment. We propose a set of interconnected guiding principles based on an expanded economic perspective that integrates all three perspectives, to enable water and sanitation services for developing countries to align with sustainability.

Qualitative Analysis of Onsite Sanitation Challenges in an Urban Setting: The Case of Jimma Town, Ethiopia

“…According to the WHO, Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP) is a stepby-step risk-based approach to assisting in the implementation of local-level risk assessment and management for the sanitation service chain 29 . It includes involvement in every stage of the sanitation value chain, from containment to conveyance, treatment, and disposal 30 . Planning is the basis for future development as well as a solution to the current sanitation crisis.…”