Household Strategies for Securing Clean Water The Demand for Piped Water in Vietnam's Peri-Urban Settlements

To date, there have been relatively few studies of small-scale providers of water in developing countries, though they are seen to be important players in peri-urban water supply systems. This paper uses the case of small-scale providers in Can Tho, Vietnam, to examine competition in local water mar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of planning education and research Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 213 - 224
Main Author Spencer, James H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2008
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Cities and towns
Comparative analysis
Developing countries
Households
LDCs
Planning
Qualitative research
Theory
Urban planning
Vietnam
Water
Water quality
Water resources
Water supply
Vietnam
qualitative comparative analysis
communicative planning theory
empirical studies of planning theory
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Summary:To date, there have been relatively few studies of small-scale providers of water in developing countries, though they are seen to be important players in peri-urban water supply systems. This paper uses the case of small-scale providers in Can Tho, Vietnam, to examine competition in local water markets, and how piped water compares with a range of lower-quality traditional sources. Although previous studies have usefully employed contingent valuation to estimate the demand for low quality, the evidence provided here estimates demand based on actual household choices regarding water of differing qualities and prices. Using an original household survey, the paper assesses the comparative advantages regarding costs, uses, and perceived advantages/challenges of each source. Findings suggest that household demand for piped water exists, but not on a sufficient scale to obviate more traditional sources, even though it is surprisingly affordable when compared to what residents pay for natural sources. Findings also suggest that the main perceived advantage of the piped system is not for its hygienic quality, but for aesthetic characteristics such as taste, smell, and color. Scholars might continue to pursue research in situations where households are not limited in their ability to choose water sources of varying qualities.
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ISSN:0739-456X
1552-6577
DOI:10.1177/0739456X08321793