The cost-effectiveness approach in analyzing a water supply project for the Santa Elena peninsula, Ecuador

Abstract

The Santa Elena peninsula area is suffering for the lack of an appropriate water supply scheme, which has been detrimental to population health and caused a low-income status. The problem involved within the area of study is described and the solution is searched for by means of the cost-effectiveness approach. The planning process starts by identifying goals which fulfill the social, economic, and physical characteristics of the area. With the use of the relevance tree technique, a selection of system specifications describing the project needs is made. A water supply scheme is considered the chief way of accomplishing the pre-established goals. The measures of effectiveness, relating the system requirements to system capabilities, are selected. Then, the systems are developed and their capabilities are compared. The selection of fixed-effectiveness is made, the merits of alternative systems are analyzed in a tabular array, a sensitivity analysis of each system in achieving each measure of effectiveness is made, and the alternative that most nearly satisfies them is selected. The methodology is applied using both the traditional approach and the recent improvements in planning water resources for developing countries.