Abstract
Using data from 16 West African countries, this paper examines the links between Per Capita Income, Trade and Financial indicators, Education and Freedom indicators. Others are internet users, broadband and mobile cell phone subscribers. Meanwhile fresh water supply (which is assumed as a bench mark public sector-led water resource management performance indicators) and access to safe drinking water (a bench mark private sector-led water resource management performance indicators) represents indicators of water resources management. The results show that income, information and communications technology (ICT) and government trade policies influence the efficient management of cross-country water resource. Freedom indicators strongly affect water resource management performance indicators (WRMPI). Internet Users, Broadband Subscribers, and Mobile cell phones subscribers have a positive association with WRMPI. However, contrary to wide spread expectations, education does not influence WRMPI. In areas where water resource management performance indicators of safe drinking water exhibited strong correlation are: Secondary school enrollment rate (0.57), fresh water supply with consumer price inflation (0.78) and a fair correlation of safe drinking water with corruption index. Key words: Information and communications technology (ICT), resource management, safe drinking water.
Highlights
The diffusion of information communication technology has led to greater integration of economies around the world
This paper examines the relationship between water resources management indicators, information and communications technology (ICT) and a set of time tested macroeconomic and policy variables for a sample of 53 African countries
This paper focuses only on: WRM performance indicators (WRMPI) such as fresh water supply measured in KM^3/Yr across countries and the availability of safe drinking water, ICT indicators such as mobile phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants, broadband subscription per 10,000 inhabitants and Internet users per 10,000 inhabitant
Summary
The diffusion of information communication technology has led to greater integration of economies around the world. This paper examines the relationship between water resources management indicators, ICT and a set of time tested macroeconomic and policy variables for a sample of 53 African countries. This paper focuses only on: WRM performance indicators (WRMPI) such as fresh water supply measured in KM^3/Yr across countries and the availability of safe drinking water, ICT indicators such as mobile phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants, broadband subscription per 10,000 inhabitants and Internet users per 10,000 inhabitant. Standard Errors in parentheses, Source: ICT indicators are from International Telecommunication Union Website (2008); indexes for Civil Liberties and Political Rights are Freedom House website (2008); Economic Freedom index is from the Heritage Foundation website (2008); Education Index is from UNDP – Human Development Report 2008; Standard and Poor’s Global Water Index website (2008); all other variables are from World Development Indicators CD-ROM (World Bank, 2008). The coefficient of correlation between Fresh water supply, safe Drinking Water is weak and highly significant (Table 1) this may reflect increased integration of these indicators
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