Water contamination, childhood diarrhoea, and household willingness to pay for safe drinking water in Pakistani urban slums

Across a remarkably large number of cities in Pakistan, drinking water is contaminated with harmful levels of toxic chemicals and microorganisms. The situation is particularly dire in urban slums, where unhygienic living conditions, inadequate sanitation, and the prevalence of contaminated water pose a constant threat to millions of lives. This study was carried out in the urban slums of three densely populated Pakistani cities to estimate the impact of polluted water on childhood diarrhoea and to identify factors influencing household willingness to pay (WTP) for safe drinking water. A total of 339 households were randomly surveyed to elicit the necessary information. Factors potentially contributing to childhood diarrhoea were examined using the Logit Regression Model, while determinants of household WTP for safe drinking water were analyzed using the Ordered Logit Model. The results indicate that an unimproved water source is a significant (p < 0.05) determinant of childhood diarrhoea and household WTP for safe drinking water. Around a quarter of the households (24.18%) reported that at least one child experienced a diarrhoeal episode in the month preceding the survey. An alarmingly high proportion of the surveyed households (80%) use an unimproved source of drinking water. Given the high health risks associated with unsafe water sources, 72.56% of the surveyed households were willing to pay an average of US $2.32 per month for the provision of safe drinking water, which could be added to their regular monthly water supply bills. The study recommends that increasing household awareness about water contamination and promoting hygienic practices through media and educational sessions could reduce the risks of waterborne illnesses, particularly childhood diarrhoea. Another viable solution could involve installing small water filtration plants within a 1-km radius, funded by a premium charged from households.