Household water insecurity in a coupled human and natural system: Empirical evidence from rural and peri-urban communities of Limpopo, South Africa

Saunak Sinha Ray

Key information

Authors:

Saunak Sinha Ray (Saunak Sinha Ray)

Supervisors:

Catalin Stefan; Maria Teresa Condesso de Melo (Maria Teresa Condesso de Melo)

Published in

08/30/2019

Abstract

Water security is a central global issue in today's world across geographies from international to local scales. At a household level, water insecurity has severe implications for wellbeing, livelihood and health across the globe. In the present research, a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach was developped a novel, reliable and validated household-level water insecurity (HWI) scale to measure, characterise and analyse the multi-dimensional determinants of water insecurity. In a South African context, although the consequences of water insecurity are well documented, the variation in social and physical determinants of household-level water insecurity in rural and peri-urban landscapes is a growing concern and research focus which this current research help advance. South Africa is one of the forty driest countries in the world, and the nation's economic development is closely linked to its water security. The results thus indicate that increasing water stress, population growth, supply-demand ratios, climate variability, reduced water quantity, poor quality, institutional and socio-eco-hydrological barriers can thus affect the economic growth and sustainable development. Improved groundwater management, source protection measures, local water treatment and appropriately operated and managed water reticulation systems can enhance reliable and adequate domestic water supply. Additionally, increased awareness amongst the various actors and implementation of a sustainable cost recovery mechanism can be useful in improving the water infrastructures and society-local government relationship.