Custo total da água como um bem social e econômico: o caso do sistema de abastecimento do concelho da praia, ilha de Santiago-CV

Abstract

Cape Verde faces increasing water scarcity due to the increase in population and recent economic growth. This water scarcity affects mainly the urban areas, where the most of the population lives. The water scarcity and poor water management have led to considerable costs to Capeverdian society. Traditionally, water resources management has been evaluated from the strictly financial standpoint, neglecting the social costs stemming from the inefficient water allocation. The main goal of this study is to assess the total cost of water supply in the municipality of Praia, in Cape Verde, having as fundamental tenet water as an economic and social good. The approach applied was developed by Roger et al. (1998), who considered that the total cost of water was the sum of the provision and economic costs, including taking into account opportunity and external costs. The results show that the main factor responsible for high water costs, besides its natural scarcity, was the misallocation of water among the competitive uses. Among the full water cost components, the total economic cost weighed most in determining the costs, and opportunity costs were the most significant subcomponent.