Advancing methods for research on household water insecurity: Studying entitlements and capabilities, socio-cultural dynamics, and political processes, institutions and governance

Eichelberger, Laura; Geere, Jo; M. Harris, Leila; A. Horney, Jennifer; Jepson, Wendy; Norman, Emma; O'Reilly, Kathleen; Pearson, Amber L.; H. Shah, Sameer; Shinn, Jamie; Stoler, Justin; Teodoro, Manuel P.; L. Young, Sera; Young, Sera; Simpson, Karen; Wutich, Amber; Budds, Jessica; Staddon, Chad

Abstract

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Household water insecurity has serious implications for the health, livelihoods and wellbeing of people around the world. Existing methods to assess the state of household water insecurity focus largely on water quality, quantity or adequacy, source or reliability, and affordability. These methods have significant advantages in terms of their simplicity and comparability, but are widely recognized to oversimplify and underestimate the global burden of household water insecurity. In contrast, a broader definition of household water insecurity should include entitlements and human capabilities, socio-cultural dynamics, and political institutions and processes. This paper proposes a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods that can be widely adopted across cultural, geographic, and demographic contexts to assess hard-to-measure dimensions of household water insecurity. In doing so, it critically evaluates existing methods for assessing household water insecurity and suggests ways in which methodological innovations advance a broader definition of household water insecurity.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Nov 15, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Nov 16, 2017
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Dec 7, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 16, 2018
• Journal: Water Security
• Print ISSN: 2468-3124
• Electronic ISSN: 2468-3124
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Pages: 1-10
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2017.09.001
• Keywords: household water insecurity, methods, methodological, qualitative, ethnography, measurement
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/878478
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2017.09.001
• Contract Date: Dec 7, 2017