Stakeholder Perspectives on COVID-19 and Household Water Access in Vulnerable Communities in the Mekong Region

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of safe access to sufficient clean water in vulnerable communities, renewing interest in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs and related targets under Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). The purpose of this study was to better understand the obstacles to water access in vulnerable communities and identify ways they might be addressed in five countries in the Mekong Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam). To this end, qualitative interviews with 50 government officials and development or health experts were complimented with a quantitative survey of the experiences and views of individuals in 15 vulnerable communities. There were several key findings. First, difficulties in accessing sufficient clean water for drinking and hygiene persist in certain vulnerable communities, including informal urban settlements, remote minority villages, and migrant worker camps. Second, limited rights, high prices, and remote locations were common obstacles to household access to improved water sources. Third, seasonal differences in the availability of clean water, alongside other disruptions to supply such as restrictions on movement in COVID-19 responses, drove households towards lower quality sources. Fourth, there are multiple threats to water quality from source to consumption that should be addressed by monitoring, treatment, and watershed protection. Fifth, stakeholder groups differ from each other and residents of vulnerable communities regarding the significance of water access, supply and quality difficulties, and how they should be addressed. The paper ends with a set of program suggestions addressing these water-related difficulties.

Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on the Urban Thermal Environment of Edmonton, Canada

“…The increased temperature in warehouses of waste management and wastewater treatment site aligns with the conclusion of previous studies, such that the lockdown increased both the solid and water waste generation by individual households (Klemeš et al 2020 ; Prata et al 2020 ; Ammendolia et al 2021 ). While municipalities must ensure the supply chain of commodities and personal protective equipment (masks, disposable gloves, disinfection tools), and provide reliable, affordable, and accessible water sources during a pandemic, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in household wastes and sewage and stool samples making its transmission through daily wastes and wastewater cannot be neglected (Lebel et al 2022 ). On the one hand, solid waste especially used personal protective equipment (PPE), has been generated increasingly and could potentially threaten public health and the environment if not managed properly (Belhadi et al 2020 ; Requena-Sanchez et al 2022 ).…”

“…When looking at the relationship to LST in 2020, the greater the visible minority population, the lower the rooftop temperature (Fig. 13d ), implying this population either could not afford to turn the heat up when they were at home or were less likely to stay at home during the pandemic (Bambra et al 2020 ; Lebel et al 2022 ; Teschner et al 2020 ), hence a lower LST. This explanation is consistent with Mishra et al ( 2022 ) and Blair et al ( 2022 )‘s findings; a community with the highest ethnocultural concentration has a lower chance of remote working and thus is more susceptible to COVID-19 exposure.…”

“…From the environmental aspect, the continued presence in homes intensified indoor activities and increased demand for energy, water, food, heating/cooling, space for working and studying, and increased the burden on households of a lower income level, lower house quality, and population with existing health conditions. Therefore, vulnerable populations are likely to be more susceptible to greater indoor pollution due to high concentrations of volatile particle compounds, increased greenhouse gas emissions due to poor ventilation or heating system, lower tree coverage within the neighbour (Lebel et al 2022 ; Teschner et al 2020 )…”