Risk analysis integrating livelihood and economic impacts of wastewater irrigation on health

• Main Authors: Tiongco, Marites M., Narrod, Clare A., Bidwell, Kelly
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Health risk assessment; Sewage; Environmental impact analysis; Irrigation; Economics; Growth and Development; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/12438
• Institution: De La Salle University

This chapter provides a brief review of methods and approaches for evaluating the consequences of using wastewater to irrigate vegetables. The following five objectives are considered:(a) analysing poor producers’ and consumers’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of the risks associated with pathogen contamination/exposure, and the economic consequences on health and livelihoods;(b) analysing the costs and benefits of non-treatment interventions at the farm level (eg drip irrigation and cessation of irrigation prior to harvest) and post-harvest level (eg washing and disinfection of vegetables after harvesting);(c) identifying costeffective interventions for reducing the risk of waterborne disease associated with wastewater use for irrigation;(d) estimating producers’ and consumers’ willingness to pay for or adopt non-treatment interventions at multiple stages along the food chain; and (e) evaluating the long-term economic and livelihood impacts of adopting those non-treatment interventions that are identified as cost-effective and targeted at poor producers and consumers. The chapter concludes by synthesizing a methodological framework for the collection and analysis of data to assess the livelihood and economic impacts of illness caused by microbial pathogens from wastewater.