Expanding Access to Clean Water for the Rural Poor: Experimental Evidence from Malawi / Pascaline Dupas, Basimenye Nhlema, Zachary Wagner, Aaron Wolf, Emily Wroe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dupas, Pascaline.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Nhlema, Basimenye.

Wagner, Zachary.

Wolf, Aaron.

Wroe, Emily.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w27570.

NBER working paper series no. w27570

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2020.

Summary:

Using data from an 18-month randomized trial, we estimate large and sustained impacts on water purification and child health of a program providing monthly coupons for free water treatment solution (diluted chlorine) to households with young children. The program is more effective and much more cost-effective than asking Community Health Workers (CHWs) to distribute free chlorine to households during routine monthly visits. That is because only 40% of households make use of free chlorine, targeting through CHWs is worse than self-targeting through coupon redemption, and water treatment promotion by CHWs does not increase chlorine use among free chlorine beneficiaries. Non- use of free chlorine is driven by households who have a protected water source and those who report that chlorine makes water taste bad.

Notes:

Print version record

July 2020.