Your search found 34 records
1 Chellaney, B. 2011. Water: Asia's new battleground. Washington, DC, USA: Georgetown University Press. 386p.
Water resources ; Water crisis ; Water insecurity ; Water scarcity ; Irrigation ; Sea water ; Water productivity ; Water supply ; Water sharing ; International waters ; Water transfer ; Aquifers ; Dams ; Rivers ; Ecosystems ; Environmental effects ; Social aspects ; Political aspects ; Economic aspects ; Flooding ; Groundwater contamination ; Food security ; Agricultural production ; Crops ; Organization / Asia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G570 CHE Record No: H045636)
(0.30 MB)
2 Basu, M.; Hoshino, S.; Hashimoto, S. 2015. Many issues, limited responses: coping with water insecurity in rural India. Water Resources and Rural Development, 5:47-63. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wrr.2015.07.001]
Water insecurity ; Climate change ; Rain ; Participatory rural appraisal ; Community involvement ; Farmers ; Households ; Women's participation ; Strategies ; Adaptation ; Social aspects ; Living standards / India / West Bengal / Purulia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047972)
(3.35 MB)
We present empirical evidence of coping strategies practiced in response to water insecurity and emerging climate variability in a dry, sub-humid rural district in India. We find non-climatic factors to be largely responsible for the existing water insecure conditions and, as perceived, climatic variations are found to magnify the misery. The causes and impacts of water insecurity result in a complex vicious cycle, pushing rural livelihoods and domestic life to further deprivation and poverty. Counter responses, mostly coping strategies, are found to be spontaneous, reactive and are largely motivated by crisis, which often degrades the resource base, and are found to be detrimental to the health and well-being of the studied communities. We question the advisability of water supply provisions in rural areas that fail to acknowledge the water demands of rural communities. Localized initiatives, including location specific strategies, must be formulated with effective community participation and in conjunction with other developmental programs to ensure water security in rural areas.
3 Akpabio, E. M.; Udofia, E.-i. S. 2017. Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria’s public spaces: the political economy angle. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 33(2):310-325. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2016.1189814]
Water supply ; Sanitation ; Hygiene ; Public health ; Water insecurity ; Drinking water ; Equity ; Water policy ; Health policies ; Regulations ; Urban areas ; Latrines ; State intervention ; Political aspects ; Socioeconomic environment ; Colonialism / Nigeria / Ikot Ekpene
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048013)
(1.13 MB)
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) services in public spaces are examined from the political economy perspective in Nigeria. Through field observations and interviews, the study observed that WaSH practices at public spaces are less than optimal on account of poor or outright absence of necessary WaSH infrastructure and weak or non-existent regulation and enforcement of necessary standards, among other challenges. Socio-economic factors related to the category of users and the proprietary interests of specific spaces largely accounted for WaSH services inequality. It is argued that the failure of the state to guarantee functional WaSH infrastructure and enforce standard practices opens space for differentiated practices and standards consistent with specific interests.
4 Grafton, R. Q. 2017. Responding to the ‘wicked problem’ of water insecurity. Water Resources Management, 31(10):3023-3041. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-017-1606-9]
Water insecurity ; Water resources ; Water scarcity ; Water stress ; Water supply ; Water users ; Water security ; Water policy ; Water rates ; Risk assessment ; Pricing ; Marginal costs ; Water market ; Equity ; Barriers ; Stakeholders ; Decision making
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048157)
(0.64 MB)
This paper highlights key trends and projections in water scarcity, reviews the ways that water security and water scarcity are most commonly understood, and explores possible responses. Based on a selected review of the literature, an explanation is provided of ways that water pricing can be applied to respond to water insecurity from both a demand and supply perspective. ‘Hard’ and also ‘soft’ approaches that include stakeholder, policy and decision processes are briefly reviewed as ways to promote water security. Collectively, the paper provides a guide about how decision makers might efficiently and equitably respond to the ‘wicked problem’ of water insecurity.
5 Adeel, Z.; Wirsing, R. G. (Eds.) 2017. Imagining industan: overcoming water insecurity in the Indus Basin. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 216p. (Water Security in a New World) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32845-4]
River basin management ; Water insecurity ; Water security ; International waters ; International cooperation ; Treaties ; International law ; Water supply ; Water scarcity ; Domestic water ; Water demand ; Water policy ; Water power ; Projects ; Dams ; Environmental protection ; Climate change ; Resilience ; Hydrological data ; Databases ; Economic growth ; Political aspects ; Conflict ; Modernization ; Capacity building ; International organizations ; Regional organizations ; Case studies / India / Pakistan / Afghanistan / China / Indus Basin / Kabul River / Himalayan Region / Tulbul Navigation Project / South-to-North Water Diversion Project / Wullar Barrage
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 ADE Record No: H048210)
(1.16 MB)
6 Stevenson, E. G. J.; Ambelu, A.; Caruso, B. A.; Tesfaye, Y.; Freeman, M. C. 2016. Community water improvement, household water insecurity, and women’s psychological distress: an intervention and control study in Ethiopia. PLoS ONE, 11(4):1-13. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153432]
Water supply ; Community development ; Water availability ; Households ; Water insecurity ; Gender ; Womans status ; Psychological factors ; Stress ; Socioeconomic environment ; Food insecurity ; Harvesting ; Villages / Ethiopia / Amhara Region / South Wello / South Gondar
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048338)
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0153432&type=printable
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048338.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048338.pdf
(0.24 MB) (244 KB)
Background
Over 650 million people worldwide lack access to safe water supplies, and even among those who have gained access to ‘improved’ sources, water may be seasonally unreliable, far from homes, expensive, and provide insufficient quantity. Measurement of water access at the level of communities and households remains crude, and better measures of household water insecurity are urgently needed to inform needs assessments and monitoring and evaluation. We set out to assess the validity of a quantitative scale of household water insecurity, and to investigate (1) whether improvements to community water supply reduce water insecurity, (2) whether water interventions affect women’s psychological distress, and (3) the impacts of water insecurity on psychological distress, independent of socio-economic status, food security, and harvest quality.
Methods and Findings
Measures were taken before and one to six months after a community water supply improvement in three villages in rural northern Ethiopia. Villages similar in size and access to water sources and other amenities did not receive interventions, and served as controls. Household water insecurity was assessed using a 21-item scale based on prior qualitative work in Ethiopia. Women’s psychological distress was assessed using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Respondents were either female heads of household or wives of the heads of household (n = 247 at baseline, n = 223 at endline); 123 households provided data at both rounds. The intervention was associated with a decline of approximately 2 points on the water insecurity scale between baseline and endline compared to the control (beta -1.99; 95% CI’s -3.15, -0.84). We did not find evidence of impact of the intervention on women’s psychological distress. Water insecurity was, however, predictive of psychological distress (p <0.01), independent of household food security and the quality of the previous year’s harvest.
Conclusion
These results contribute to the construct validity of our water insecurity scale, and establish our approach to measuring water insecurity as a plausible means of evaluating water interventions. Improvements to community water supplies were effective in reducing household water insecurity, but not psychological distress, in this population. Water insecurity was an important predictor of psychological distress. This study contributes to an emerging literature on quantitative assessment of household water insecurity, and draws attention to the potential impact of improved access to water on women’s mental well-being.
Over 650 million people worldwide lack access to safe water supplies, and even among those who have gained access to ‘improved’ sources, water may be seasonally unreliable, far from homes, expensive, and provide insufficient quantity. Measurement of water access at the level of communities and households remains crude, and better measures of household water insecurity are urgently needed to inform needs assessments and monitoring and evaluation. We set out to assess the validity of a quantitative scale of household water insecurity, and to investigate (1) whether improvements to community water supply reduce water insecurity, (2) whether water interventions affect women’s psychological distress, and (3) the impacts of water insecurity on psychological distress, independent of socio-economic status, food security, and harvest quality.
Methods and Findings
Measures were taken before and one to six months after a community water supply improvement in three villages in rural northern Ethiopia. Villages similar in size and access to water sources and other amenities did not receive interventions, and served as controls. Household water insecurity was assessed using a 21-item scale based on prior qualitative work in Ethiopia. Women’s psychological distress was assessed using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Respondents were either female heads of household or wives of the heads of household (n = 247 at baseline, n = 223 at endline); 123 households provided data at both rounds. The intervention was associated with a decline of approximately 2 points on the water insecurity scale between baseline and endline compared to the control (beta -1.99; 95% CI’s -3.15, -0.84). We did not find evidence of impact of the intervention on women’s psychological distress. Water insecurity was, however, predictive of psychological distress (p <0.01), independent of household food security and the quality of the previous year’s harvest.
Conclusion
These results contribute to the construct validity of our water insecurity scale, and establish our approach to measuring water insecurity as a plausible means of evaluating water interventions. Improvements to community water supplies were effective in reducing household water insecurity, but not psychological distress, in this population. Water insecurity was an important predictor of psychological distress. This study contributes to an emerging literature on quantitative assessment of household water insecurity, and draws attention to the potential impact of improved access to water on women’s mental well-being.
7 McCord, P.; Waldman, K.; Baldwin, E.; Dell’Angelo, J.; Evans, T. 2018. Assessing multi-level drivers of adaptation to climate variability and water insecurity in smallholder irrigation systems. World Development, 108:296-308. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.02.009]
Climate change adaptation ; Water insecurity ; Smallholders ; Irrigation systems ; Agriculture ; Flow discharge ; Water governance ; Water user associations ; Collective action ; Seeds ; Experimentation ; Households ; Socioeconomic environment / Kenya / Mount Kenya Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048849)
(1.45 MB)
Smallholder agriculturalists employ a range of strategies to adapt to climate variability. These adaptive strategies include decisions to plant different seed varieties, changes to the array of cultivated crops, and shifts in planting dates. Smallholder access to irrigation water is crucial to the adoption of such strategies, and uncertainty of water availability may prove to be a stimulating force in a smallholder’s decision to adjust their on-farm practices. Within smallholder irrigation systems, attributes at multiple levels influence water availability and collective action, and in the process play a role in adaptation: community-level governance institutions may influence trust in others and the ability to overcome appropriation and provisioning dilemmas, and, at the household-level, the availability of irrigation water and socioeconomic and demographic factors may influence farmer willingness to take on the risk of altering their on-farm practices. In this study we investigate smallholder adaptation in Kenya from multiple levels. Specifically, we identify the role of household- and community-level characteristics in shaping smallholder experimentation with different seed varieties. Standard ordinary least squares and logistic regressions are constructed to assess the influence of these interactions on smallholder adaptation. We further discuss the ability of smallholders to respond to poor water provisioning. Among the study’s findings is evidence that smallholders are more willing to employ adaptive measures if they have a limited capacity to irrigate.
8 Adams, E. A. 2018. Thirsty slums in African cities: household water insecurity in urban informal settlements of Lilongwe, Malawi. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 34(6):869-887. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2017.1322941]
Water insecurity ; Informal settlements ; Slums ; Urban areas ; Households ; Drinking water ; Water availability ; Water supply ; Water institutions ; Water policy ; Water use ; Periurban areas ; Socioeconomic environment / Africa South of Sahara / Malawi / Lilongwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048943)
(1.04 MB)
Over 70% of Malawi’s urban population lives in informal settlements, where households regularly face chronic water insecurity. This article utilizes mixed methods – household surveys (N = 645), field observations, focus groups and interviews – to examine household water insecurity in three urban informal settlements of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital and largest city. The study finds that water insecurity arises from overdependence on communal water kiosks which are insufficient in number, have high nonfunctional rates, are prone to vandalism, and provide water irregularly; lack of alternative improved water sources; and a significant time burden due to long waiting times and multiple trips to water sources. The findings underscore why water insecurity in Africa’s urban informal settlements deserves urgent policy attention.
9 Shrestha, A.; Roth, D.; Joshi, D. 2018. Socio-environmental dynamics and emerging groundwater dependencies in peri-urban Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Water Alternatives, 11(3):770-794. (Special issue: Local- and National-level Politics of Groundwater Overexploitation).
Groundwater extraction ; Water supply ; Periurban areas ; Socioeconomic environment ; Water management ; Water institutions ; Water policy ; Water governance ; Water use ; Water insecurity ; Drinking water ; Urbanization ; Population ; Conflicts / Nepal / Kathmandu Valley / Dadhikot / Lamatar
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048990)
http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol11/v11issue3/464-a11-3-17/file
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048990.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048990.pdf
(1.03 MB) (1.03 MB)
Groundwater is an increasingly important source of water supply in Kathmandu Valley, one of the fastest-growing South-Asian urban agglomerations. A groundwater policy drafted in 2012 was partly an outcome of an institutional restructuring of water management in Kathmandu Valley. Our findings in this article show that this policy lacks attention to peri-urban dynamics of change and growth and does little to address the unplanned and unregulated groundwater use in peri-urban locations in the valley, which urbanises at a faster rate than the main city. This article discusses the growing use of, and dependence on, groundwater in these rapidly evolving peri-urban spaces. Groundwater use continues to increase, despite growing protests and worries about its consequences. Our findings show that the polarised views and local conflicts around groundwater exploitation are the outcome of multiple entanglements: sectoral divides and overlapping responsibilities in water institutions, governance and management; social and economic transformations in peri-urban spaces; the invisibility of groundwater; and ambiguity in the hydrological dynamics of conjunctive water use. While we see no easy solutions to these problems, the policy-relevant recommendations we derive from our analysis of the drivers and the dynamics of using, governing and managing groundwater draw attention to the complex on-the-ground realities that need to be better understood for addressing macro-micro gaps in (ground)water management.
10 Ringer, C.; Dias, P.; United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN). 2020. Water and nutrition: harmonizing actions for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition and the United Nations Water Action Decade. Rome, Italy: United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN). 56p.
Water resources ; Nutrition security ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Water security ; Water insecurity ; Malnutrition ; Food systems ; Food security ; Diet ; Climate change ; Agricultural production ; Water management ; Irrigation water ; Water demand ; Water supply ; Sanitation ; Hygiene ; Households ; Domestic water ; Women's empowerment ; Fisheries ; Social aspects ; Human rights ; Environmental sustainability ; Ecosystems ; UN ; Case studies
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049549)
https://www.unscn.org/uploads/web/news/document/Water-Paper-EN-WEB-12feb.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049549.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049549.pdf
(2.21 MB) (2.21 MB)
11 Molden, O. C.; Khanal, A.; Pradhan, N. 2020. The pain of water: a household perspective of water insecurity and inequity in the Kathmandu Valley. Water Policy, 22(S1):130-145. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2018.116]
Water insecurity ; Households ; Water security ; Water management ; Water supply ; Infrastructure ; Water access ; Urban areas ; Participatory research ; Social networks ; Policies / Nepal / Himalayan Region / Kathmandu Valley
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049972)
https://iwaponline.com/wp/article-pdf/22/S1/130/651606/022000130.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049972.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049972.pdf
(0.22 MB) (228 KB)
This paper draws on participatory research with 47 household water managers over the dry, pre-monsoon, and monsoon season, alongside expert knowledge of water management in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. Doing so, it presents the perspectives of water managers to highlight three dimensions of water security that existing approaches often overlook. First, experiences of water security vary greatly between households over the year, even within a relatively small geographic area. Second, social connections and landownership play an important role in mediating these experiences. Third, coping with poor water supply places a burden on certain household members. This paper argues that addressing water inequities and insecurities demands research, development and policy responses to look beyond the main pipe network and engage with the variety of ways in which households secure water.
12 Singh, S.; Hassan, S. M. T.; Hassan, M.; Bharti, N. 2020. Urbanisation and water insecurity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: insights from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Water Policy, 22(S1):9-32. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2019.215]
Urbanization ; Water insecurity ; Water resources ; Water security ; Water demand ; Water supply ; Climate change ; Risk coping strategies ; Adaptation ; Rivers ; Infrastructure ; Urban population ; Mountains ; Economic aspects / Bangladesh / India / Nepal / Pakistan / Hindu Kush Himalayan Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049979)
https://iwaponline.com/wp/article-pdf/22/S1/9/651610/022000009.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049979.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049979.pdf
(0.35 MB) (360 KB)
This paper reviews the interlinkages of critical state of water resources, supply systems, rapid urbanisation and demand regime, aggravated by tourism leading to increasing water insecurity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Urban centres in the HKH have been defined based on different criteria, but mountain-specific criteria are lacking. In the mountains, small settlements such as district headquarters perform a large number of functions, typical of an urban centre. However, they are not formally classified as urban centres because they do not meet the census-defined nationally set criteria of the respective country. Nonetheless, water insecurity is a reality, attributed to: (i) water governance issues; (ii) inappropriate urban planning, failing, and to some extent, unable to account for the floating population, such as tourists; and (iii) the scourge of climate change which could worsen the situation further. Short-term coping strategies to meeting water demands often involve unsustainable solutions, such as groundwater extraction, with long-term repercussions. However, long-term strategies for water sustainability by the governments have been beneficial while others are yet to show success. Initiatives by civil society and governments along similar lines in other countries could lead to a water-secure future for the fragile urban centres of the HKH region.
13 Nyiwul, L. 2021. Climate change adaptation and inequality in Africa: case of water, energy and food insecurity. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278:123393. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123393]
Climate change adaptation ; Climate change mitigation ; Water insecurity ; Energy consumption ; Renewable energy ; Food security ; Social inequalities ; Sustainable development ; Policies ; Greenhouse gas emissions ; Carbon dioxide ; Vulnerability ; Costs ; Socioeconomic environment ; Poverty / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050086)
(0.88 MB)
In this paper we analyze the relationship between social inequality and climate change policy actions in African countries. We examine whether the needs of the poor influence mitigation and adaptation policies in the region. The continent is characterized by an interesting dynamic between inequality and climate change: it is predicted to disproportionately bear the effects of climate change, at the same time that it accounts for four out of the top five countries with the starkest inequality globally. In our analysis, we construct a statistical measure of social inequality for a group of 54 African countries and use the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to obtain corresponding data on mitigation and adaptation policy actions. We then estimate the intensity of the responsiveness of the latter to the former. Using fractional regression and data imputation methods, we find a statistically significant negative relationship between social inequality and climate change policy actions in Africa. Across African countries, mitigation and adaptation actions fall by about 23% for every 1% rise in social inequality. African countries are therefore not responding to climate change threats in ways that simultaneously reduce social inequality and adapt to climate change. Furthermore, there is some evidence that countries emitting more pollutants are less likely to take action to address climate change. Our results imply that in order to address differences in the burden of climate change in Africa, a re-evaluation of current policy actions is warranted.
14 Patrick, H. O. 2021. Climate change and water insecurity in rural uMkhanyakude District Municipality: an assessment of coping strategies for rural South Africa. H2Open Journal, 4(1):29-46. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/h2oj.2021.009]
Climate change ; Water insecurity ; Water security ; Coping strategies ; Vulnerability ; Water supply ; Water reuse ; Water conservation ; Early warning systems ; Rural communities ; Households ; Socioeconomic aspects / South Africa / uMkhanyakude / KwaZulu-Natal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050352)
https://iwaponline.com/h2open/article-pdf/4/1/29/872592/h2oj0040029.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050352.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050352.pdf
(0.57 MB) (588 KB)
The vulnerability of Africa to climate change extremes and eventual impacts is extremely high due to the weak coping strategies prevalent in the continent. The peculiarity of South Africa to these vulnerabilities, especially for water security, is an issue of socioeconomic and policy issue. Based on the premises of human security, the study assesses the coping strategies of rural communities in South Africa, focusing on uMkhanyakude District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province, given the effects of climate change-induced water scarcity on the area. The study employed a multilayered descriptive mixed method triangulation approach. It focused specifically on the connection between water and climate change and the adopted everyday vertical and horizontal coping strategies. The findings revealed a strong correlation between the behavioral and traditional coping strategies in the study area, water depletion/scarcity, and climate change. It also showed that government institutions are reactionary in their response to climate change-induced impacts. The study, therefore, recommends a pre-resilience mechanism that makes institutions and individuals proactive rather than adopting a reactionary post-resilience strategy in response to the effects of climate change-induced water security.
15 Bhattarai, B.; Upadhyaya, R.; Neupane, K. R.; Devkota, K.; Maskey, G.; Shrestha, S.; Mainali, B.; Ojha, H. 2021. Gender inequality in urban water governance: continuity and change in two towns of Nepal. World Water Policy, 7(1):30-51. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/wwp2.12052]
Water governance ; Urban areas ; Gender equality ; Water supply ; Drinking water ; Water insecurity ; Water, sanitation and hygiene ; Gender-transformative approaches ; Women ; Inclusion ; Participation ; Awareness ; Decision making ; Water management ; Water policies ; Households ; Livelihoods ; Socioeconomic environment ; Case studies / Nepal / Kathmandu / Dhulikhel / Dharan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050516)
Gender-based inequality has long been recognized as a challenge in water governance and urban development. Women do most of the water collection-related tasks in the majority of low-income country’s urban areas, as they do in rural areas for drinking, household consumption, kitchen gardening, and farming. However, their voice is rarely heard in water governance. When climate change exacerbates water scarcity, it becomes harder for people to secure water with more pronounced effects on women. Drawing on the narratives of men and women involved in water management practices and also the views of the stakeholders who are part of water resource management in two towns in Nepal, this paper demonstrates emerging forms of gender inequality concerning access to and control over water resources, as well as associated services such as sanitation. We found that women’s voice in water governance is systematically excluded, and such gender-based disadvantage intersects with economic disadvantage as women in low-income poor urban settlements are experiencing additional difficulty in accessing water and sanitation services. Gender inequity persists in the urban water sector, and of course the wider social structures, despite some progressive policy changes in recent years, such as the 30% quota reserved for women in local-level water management bodies in Nepal. The paper concludes that tackling gender inequity in water management requires a transformative approach that seriously takes into account women’s voice, critical awareness, and open deliberation over the causes and consequences of the current approaches and practices. Moreover, gender-inclusive outcomes on water management are linked to changes in areas outside of the water sector, such as property ownership structures that constrain or enable women’s access to water and related services.
16 Shrestha, A.; Joshi, D.; Roth, D. 2020. The hydro-social dynamics of exclusion and water insecurity of Dalits in peri-urban Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: fluid yet unchanging. Contemporary South Asia, 28(3):320-335. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2020.1770200]
Water insecurity ; Caste systems ; Social aspects ; Inclusion ; Discrimination ; Periurban areas ; Water supply ; Drinking water ; Water security ; Water access ; Water rights ; Water use ; Political aspects ; Institutions ; Households ; Communities ; Villages / Nepal / Kathmandu Valley / Lamatar / Tehrabise / Dandathok / Sisneri
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050556)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09584935.2020.1770200?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050556.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050556.pdf
(2.20 MB) (2.20 MB)
Processes of urbanisation create peri-urban spaces that are socially and institutionally fluid. In this article, we analyse how contestations and competition over declining water resources in peri-urban Kathmandu Valley in Nepal reshape water use, access and rights as well as user communities themselves, by creating and reproducing new and existing exclusions and solidarities. Traditional caste-based discriminatory practices, prohibiting Dalits from physically accessing water from sources used by higher castes, are said to be no longer practiced in Nepal. However, our findings show that, exclusion persists for Dalits even though the characteristics of exclusion have changed. In situations of competing water claims in the research location, Dalit households, unlike higher-caste groups, are unable to exercise prior-use water rights. Their water insecurity is compounded by their relative inability to mobilise political, social and economic resources to claim and access new water services and institutions. By juxtaposing the hydro-social and social exclusion analytical frameworks, we demonstrate how exclusions as well as interpretations and experiences of water (in)security are reified in post-Maoist, supposedly inclusive Nepal.
17 Hart, A. C.; Rosewarne, E.; Spencer, W.; McCausland, R.; Leslie, G.; Shanthosh, J.; Corby, C.; Bennett-Brook, K.; Webster, J. 2021. Indigenous community-led programs to address food and water security: protocol for a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12):6366. (Special issue: Global Food Security and Public Health) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126366]
Indigenous peoples' knowledge ; Community involvement ; Food security ; Water security ; Systematic reviews ; Food insecurity ; Water insecurity ; Nutrition ; Policies / Australia / New South Wales
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050564)
(0.28 MB) (288 KB)
The connection between indigenous peoples and Country (a multidimensional concept including land and water) enabled communities to thrive and survive over millennia. This has been eroded by colonisation, dispossession and increasing food and water insecurity due to climate change and supply constraints. Globally, indigenous peoples experience a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and poor nutrition is a major risk factor. Indigenous leaders have been advocating for community-led solutions. The primary aim of this systematic review is to determine what community-led programs have been undertaken to address food and/or water security globally. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature will be performed in EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, LILACs, Informit and Business Source Premier. The grey literature search will include grey literature databases, customised Google search engines, targeted websites, and consultation with experts. The search strategy will consist of four concepts, combined as follows: (1) indigenous peoples AND (2) community program AND (3) food security OR (4) water security. Covidence will be used for study screening and data extraction by two authors. A deductive thematic analysis using indigenous-informed methodologies will be used to synthesise data. This review seeks to provide insight on models and mechanisms to encourage action and metrics for quantifying success of indigenous community-led programs to improve food and water security.
18 Bukachi, S. A.; Omia, D. O.; Musyoka, M. M.; Wambua, F. M.; Peter, M. N.; Korzenevica, M. 2021. Exploring water access in rural Kenya: narratives of social capital, gender inequalities and household water security in Kitui County. Water International, 46(5):677-696. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2021.1940715]
Water access ; Rural communities ; Social capital ; Gender equality ; Households ; Water security ; Water insecurity ; Resilience ; Women ; Sustainable development ; Risk / Kenya / Kitui
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050656)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2021.1940715?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050656.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050656.pdf
(3.25 MB) (3.25 MB)
Access to water and sanitation as a basic human right is still limited within resource-poor rural settings of Africa, including Kitui, Kenya. This is exacerbated by prevailing gender inequalities which can be mediated when communities leverage on social capital. Qualitative methods were used to examine how values embedded in social capital enable women and vulnerable groups to cope with household water insecurity. How communities exploit the bonding and bridging dimensions of social capital to cope with water insecurities has gendered implications. Understanding the role of social capital is important in advancing public policy to reduce gender inequalities in water access.
19 Lebel, L.; Navy, H.; Siharath, P.; Long, C. T. M.; Aung, N.; Lebel, P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Lebel, B. 2023. COVID-19 and household water insecurities in vulnerable communities in the Mekong Region. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(4):3503-3522. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02182-0]
Water insecurity ; COVID-19 ; Households ; Vulnerability ; Communities ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation ; Water, sanitation and hygiene ; Hand washing ; Good practices ; Drinking water ; Water quality ; Water systems ; Gender ; Women ; Risk reduction ; Socioeconomic environment / Cambodia / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Myanmar / Thailand / Vietnam / Mekong Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050959)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10668-022-02182-0.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050959.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050959.pdf
(1.25 MB) (1.25 MB)
Access to sufficient clean water is important for reducing the risks from COVID-19. It is unclear, however, what influence COVID-19 has had on water insecurities. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between COVID-19 control measures and household water insecurities. A survey of 1559 individuals living in vulnerable communities in five countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) showed that increased needs for clean water to wash hands or facemasks made it more likely a person was water insecure along those dimensions. Water insecurities with respect to handwashing and drinking, in turn, made adoption of the corresponding good practices less likely, whereas in the case of washing facemasks there was no association. Water system infrastructure, environmental conditions such as foods and droughts, as well as gender norms and knowledge, were also important for water insecurities and the adoption of good practices. As domestic water insecurities and COVID-19 control measures are associated with each other, efforts should therefore be directed at identifying and assisting the water insecure at high risk when COVID-19 reaches their communities.
20 Richards, N.; Gutierrez-Arellano, C. 2022. Effects of community-based water management decisions at catchment scale, an interdisciplinary approach: the case of the Great Ruaha River Catchment, Tanzania. Water Practice and Technology, 17(2):598-611. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2022.010]
Integrated water resources management ; Decision making ; Community organizations ; Natural resources management ; Catchment areas ; Water insecurity ; Water user associations ; Water balance ; Irrigation ; Runoff ; Water institutions ; Participatory management ; Farmland ; Dry season ; Wet season ; Lowland ; Deforestation ; Hydrological modelling ; Evapotranspiration / United Republic of Tanzania / Great Ruaha River Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050947)
https://iwaponline.com/wpt/article-pdf/17/2/598/1012169/wpt0170598.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050947.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050947.pdf
(0.62 MB) (632 KB)
Water User Associations are community-based institutions that cover segments of rivers and are responsible for water management decisions. These are the result of institutional blueprints designed by the international community, widely adopted around the world. However, the implementation gaps between these generic institutional designs and the working on the ground are vast and require site-specific information to support water management decisions at the local scale. We used a hydrological modelling approach to assess how community-based decisions can maximize their outcomes and improve overall availability of water resources in the Great Ruaha River Catchment in Tanzania, a catchment that is under severe drought pressures and is of the utmost ecological, social, and political relevance at the national scale. We provide information to support decisions on when and where to focus conservation and management strategies by identifying the seasonal and spatial variability of water availability in the catchment. Our methods have the potential to be used in other catchments around the world. This study shows the importance of assessing the hydrological processes affecting the geographies of community-based institutions to identify priority areas of action.
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