The Assessment of Private Sector Participation through different Contracting Models on the Sustainability of Desalination Plants
Date
2017-09-12
Authors
عبيسي, آية هشام حسن
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
جامعة النجاح الوطنية
Abstract
Gaza Strip suffers from water shortages for several reasons, namely: political circumstances, population growth, climate change overexploitation resource... etc. Consequently, seawater desalination plant offers an abundant alternative resource to meet the growing needs of water. The main reason to go for desalination is the levels of salinity have been rising continuously over the last two decades, where in Gaza strip, Levels of total dissolved salts became far in excess of the WHO standards. In addition, the location of Gaza strip which extends along the Mediterranean coast, plays an important role to make the desalination plant a possible choice.
Still, there are problems in the application of such technology, including cost, lack of expertise and managerial competence to operate the desalination plant. Therefore, governments look for Public-Private Participation (PPP) expression which means getting the private sector involved in the construction and operation of desalination plants through different contracting models.
The main purpose of this research is to study and decide the most efficient and sustainable PPP contracts used for desalination plants in Palestine.
So, the adopted approach for selecting the optimal PPP contract was based on extensive literature review to summarize the most well-known PPP contacts and several meetings with experts who have a good background about the desalination process, PPP contracts, sustainability …etc., to finding the beneficial tool to collect the data
Data collected through interview structured, targeted to different organization related to water sectors, or concerned of infrastructure projects and based on five indicators: financial, institutional, technical, socio-economic, and environmental viabilities.
Through the analysis process of the data collected using SPSS program, three points will be assessed; first, the importance rate for sustainability of each of five indicators (financial, technical, institutional, social, and environmental viabilities) for desalination plant in Palestine. Second, sustainability of each of the five indicators that effect on deciding the structural framework of PPP contracts. Third, the different contracting models.
By the end of analysis, the concession contract (Green field contract) got the heighest score with weighted average 3.3 through overall assessment of PPP contracts, that means this contract is the optimal contract which is simulating the reality of the infrastructure in Palestine, achieving the sustainability of the desalination plant , and improving the efficiency of the service to satisfy the citizens.