Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2017PR176B

Willingness to pay for water scarcity eradication and water service attributes in Puerto Rico: Results from contingent valuation and choice experiments methods

Institute: Puerto Rico
Year Established: 2017 Start Date: 2017-03-01 End Date: 2020-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $18,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $47,708

Principal Investigators: Hector Tavarez, Carmen Alamo, Mildred Corts

Abstract: Water scarcity is one of the main drivers of social conflict and health and sanitation concerns worldwide. In recent years, residents in Puerto Rico have suffered from water scarcity due to reductions in water supply. As a result, residents have experienced weekly water service interruptions. Eradicating water scarcity in the short run may be unrealistic, as many of the alternatives to reduce the scarcity, such as dredging lakes, are quite expensive. Therefore, it is critical to assess other alternatives to deal with the scarcity, such as residents’ preferences for specific water service improvements. The objectives of this study are to: (1) use a contingent valuation method to estimate residents’ willingness to pay for water scarcity eradication in Puerto Rico, (2) use a choice experiments method to estimate residents’ willingness to pay for water service attributes in Puerto Rico, and (3) use a variety of strategies to disseminate research results to stakeholders at multiple levels. Results from this study can be used to create efficient policy designs and raise awareness regarding water scarcity-related phenomena in Puerto Rico.