Developing a sustainable water resource management strategy for a fluoride-affected area: a contingent valuation approach

A membrane-based water treatment scheme was techno-economically investigated for evolving a sustainable water resource management strategy for the people of a fluoride-affected and water-stressed area in eastern India. Contingent valuation method was applied in cost–benefit analysis and for assessing the economic viability and sustainability of the strategy. The study based on willingness to pay (WTP) revealed that the treatment of contaminated groundwater by highly selective membranes in a fouling-free module could be one of the best options. Determinants of WTP were found out through multivariate regression analysis. The selected variables were found to have direct relation with the WTP amount. The coefficients were statistically significant at 5 % level. The households’ real financial situation was found to have significant and positive influences on their desire to contribute for better water services. Through open-end choice bidding format, the study revealed that the affected people were desperately seeking safe drinking water even paying for the same, though currently they were receiving drinking water almost free of cost. The most striking among the findings is that an advanced water treatment scheme may not necessarily be an expensive proposition. It could very much be affordable to the ordinary citizens of a developing country.