A comprehensive sustainability index for the assessment of water and sanitation management systems (WSMS) is presented. The index was based on a conceptual framework that perceives sustainability as a combination of territorial, temporal, and personal aspects. A set of sustainability indicators was selected in agreement within this framework, and the ‘Water and Sanitation Sustainability Index’ (WASSI) was built. The WASSI was used to assess the sustainability of the WSMS of the city of Salta, Argentina. Indicators were calculated from information gathered by several means including literature reviews, questionnaires, visits, and participatory workshops. The index was sensitive to detect variations between different aspects of the local WSMS. It was also relatively independent to the quantity and quality of the information available. The WASSI could be a useful tool to assess and improve sustainability of water and sanitation throughout the management systems.
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Research Article|
September 01 2012
A comprehensive index to assess the sustainability of water and sanitation management systems
M. A. Iribarnegaray;
M. A. Iribarnegaray
1Research Institute on Non-Conventional Energy Sources (INENCO), National Agency for the Advancement of Science and Technology (ANPCyT), UNSa, Avda. Bolivia 5150, A4408FVY Salta, Argentina
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F. R. Copa;
F. R. Copa
2Research Institute on Non-conventional energy sources (INENCO), UNSa, Avda. Bolivia, 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
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M. L. Gatto D'Andrea;
M. L. Gatto D'Andrea
3National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) - INENCO - UNSa., Avda. Bolivia 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
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M. F. Arredondo;
M. F. Arredondo
2Research Institute on Non-conventional energy sources (INENCO), UNSa, Avda. Bolivia, 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
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J. D. Cabral;
J. D. Cabral
2Research Institute on Non-conventional energy sources (INENCO), UNSa, Avda. Bolivia, 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
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J. J. Correa;
J. J. Correa
2Research Institute on Non-conventional energy sources (INENCO), UNSa, Avda. Bolivia, 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
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V. I. Liberal;
V. I. Liberal
4Faculty of Engineering, UNSa., INENCO, Avda. Bolivia 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
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L. Seghezzo
3National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) - INENCO - UNSa., Avda. Bolivia 5150, A4408FVY, Salta, Argentina
E-mail: Lucas.Seghezzo@wur.nl
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Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development (2012) 2 (3): 205–222.
Article history
Received:
July 12 2011
Accepted:
March 13 2012
Citation
M. A. Iribarnegaray, F. R. Copa, M. L. Gatto D'Andrea, M. F. Arredondo, J. D. Cabral, J. J. Correa, V. I. Liberal, L. Seghezzo; A comprehensive index to assess the sustainability of water and sanitation management systems. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 1 September 2012; 2 (3): 205–222. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2012.005
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Impact Factor 1.250
CiteScore 1.9 • Q2
38 days from submission to first decision on average