Advancing Water Equity Demands New Approaches to Sustainability Science

Keeler, Bonnie L.; Derickson, Kate Driscoll; Waters, Hillary; Walker, Rebecca H.

doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2020.03.003

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…However, Allouche (2020) notes that a divide between integration approaches and equity in water resource management remains and calls for interdisciplinary analysis interlinking equity, sustainability, and integration. Similarly, Keeler et al (2020) developed a general toolkit for new approaches in order to advance water equity, seen as still lacking within sustainability science. Thus, the policies put forth in water-stressed regions around the world still need to be evaluated and assessed in the context of place, culture, and people so that lessons learned can inform small (or large) adjustments to achieve the goal of IWRM.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought, water management, and social equity: Analyzing Cape Town, South Africa's water crisis

Calverley

Walther

2022

Front. Water

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Climate change impacts on hydrologic systems, coupled with increasing water demand and a growing global population, has led to depleted water resources in semi-arid regions around the world. This increase in water shortages has significant implications for environmental justice and equity concerns. One such region impacted by both water scarcity and deep-seated inequality is the Western Cape of South Africa, whose drought crisis reached peak recognition when the City of Cape Town released its notice of “Day Zero” in 2018, the day the city would turn off the taps to residents. This study examines the changes in physical factors prior to and during the 2015–2018 drought in Cape Town and evaluates how policy decisions made in response to this event interacted with existing social injustices. Analysis of the physical data finds only a slight direct relationship between rainfall and dam levels (r2 = 0.3), suggesting a more complex narrative for the decrease in water supply, including increased water use and management decisions. Of the many policies implemented to avoid Day Zero, some were found to be more effective and can be utilized long-term. The study also finds that the Cape Town water crisis has unveiled and heightened existing inequalities through placing a disproportionate financial burden on low-income communities. As droughts become more common, Cape Town provides a crucial case study for understanding the social, political, and environmental implications of drought management in the future.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought, water management, and social equity: Analyzing Cape Town, South Africa's water crisis

Calverley

Walther

2022

Front. Water

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“…However, the continued, widespread inequities in water access across the globe despite investments in water resources developments, e.g., [29][30][31], suggest that these learnings have not consistently translated into improved water management. To address these persistent equity issues, Keeler et al [32] recently called for new approaches to collaboration and knowledge production in water management and policy that address some of the research blind spots, particularly around the justice dimensions. This paper demonstrates an integrated approach that facilitates the co-production of transdisciplinary understanding around marginal farmers' access to water in two case studies by a diverse team of researchers and on-ground practitioners.…”

Section: Equity Issues In Water Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The generality of IA means that concepts from across disciplines could be brought together in one framework. This process enabled the team to capture and link a diverse range of important concepts in the framework, including those that are often overlooked in water management, such as justice and governance concepts [32]. Potential users of the framework (e.g., donors, researchers or other stakeholders) can use it as a tool to think through pathways from actions through to intended outcomes, including possible risks to and from those outcomes, and supporting the mechanisms needed to achieve the outcomes.…”

Section: Advantages and Limitations Of The Ia Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Assessment—How Does It Help Unpack Water Access by Marginalized Farmers?

Hamilton

Merritt

Das³

et al. 2020

Water

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Water is critical to the lives and livelihoods of rural communities in developing countries; however, access to water can be inequitable within communities. This paper uses a generalized integrated assessment approach to explore the determinants of water access by marginalized farmers in two villages in coastal Bangladesh, before and after the setup of local water institutions. The study was part of a broader project aimed at promoting socially inclusive agricultural intensification. An integrative framework was developed in this study to capture and link the diverse range of factors that influence the distribution of water, including the often-overlooked role of social dynamics and governance arrangements. While interventions around improving water resource infrastructure can be critical for freshwater availability, the case studies show that a breakdown of asymmetric power structures may also be needed for water access to all individuals, especially marginalized groups. Establishing a community-based water institution on its own does not necessarily address power issues in a community. It is imperative that the agency and capacities of the marginalized members are developed and that the institutional arrangements foster an enabling environment for marginalized members to influence decision making. Integrated assessment allowed the case studies to be explored from multiple perspectives so as to gain a greater understanding of the barriers and levers to obtaining equitable outcomes from water interventions.

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“…Billions of individuals worldwide currently live in areas with insufficient water availability, poor water access, unsatisfactory water quality, and/or excessive water-related risks 3 – 6 . Moreover, climate change, altered water demands through population growth and displacement, and poor water governance also threaten to further exacerbate entrenched water inequalities 7 . As such, the 2019 United Nations World Water Development Report addresses the urgent necessity to consider the demand of disadvantaged groups when managing water resources 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inequality of household water security follows a Development Kuznets Curve

et al. 2022

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Water security requires not only sufficient availability of and access to safe and acceptable quality for domestic uses, but also fair distribution within and across populations. However, a key research gap remains in understanding water security inequality and its dynamics, which in turn creates an impediment to tracking progress towards sustainable development. Therefore, we analyse the inequality of water security using data from 7603 households across 28 sites in 22 low- and middle-income countries, measured using the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale. Here we show an inverted-U shaped relationship between site water security and inequality of household water security. This Kuznets-like curve suggests a process that as water security grows, the inequality of water security first increases then decreases. This research extends the Kuznets curve applications and introduces the Development Kuznets Curve concept. Its practical implications support building water security and achieving more fair, inclusive, and sustainable development.

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Advancing Water Equity Demands New Approaches to Sustainability Science

Cited by 19 publications

References 11 publications

Drought, water management, and social equity: Analyzing Cape Town, South Africa's water crisis

Drought, water management, and social equity: Analyzing Cape Town, South Africa's water crisis

Integrated Assessment—How Does It Help Unpack Water Access by Marginalized Farmers?

Inequality of household water security follows a Development Kuznets Curve

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