Development of an objective water security index and assessment of its association with quality of life in urban areas of developing countries

Abstract

A composite metric assessing water security's physical dimension at the micro/ community level is lacking but is essential for setting priorities for program and policy implementations. We prepared an objective index (OI) of water security to measure the physical dimension using a model centered on household water-use behavior in developing countries' urban areas. A cross-sectional household survey (n = 1500) with multi-stage cluster design was conducted from December 2015 to February 2016 in the Kathmandu Valley, which has faced long-term, severe water shortage. A structured questionnaire probed socio-demographic characteristics, water sources, frequency and quantity of water use, cost related to water, etc. A 15-item water insecurity scale was used to measure subjective and experiential dimension of water insecurity. The World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF was used to measure quality of life (QoL). The QoL has been considered as proxy of well-being in this study. The OI measured differential water security within small cities, the utility's service areas for instance, and identified area-specific key dimensions that need improvement. Overall, the OI and its key dimensions can be useful measures to design water-scarcity averting programs and policies, specific to a particular community's needs. The increased OI values were significantly and positively associated with better physical and psychological health and better social relationship domains of QoL suggesting health implications of water security.

Keywords: Community level; Composite index; Experiential dimension; Physical dimension; Water scarcity.

Fig. 1

Distribution of sampling clusters in the study area. Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) branches are designated water service areas. White areas refer to municipal boundaries, and gray areas to village development committee boundaries of respective KUKL branches. Our study focused within municipal boundaries, except for B-10. Red circles are clusters (N=50). Thirty households were selected in each cluster (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article).

Fig. 2

Conceptual model of an objective index (OI) for water security and its seven dimensions.

Fig. 3

Objective index of water security and seven key dimension values across 50 clusters.

Fig. 4

Objective index of water security (OI) variation across KUKL branches.

Fig. 5

Values of key dimensions across KUKL branches and standard deviation for each key dimension within each branch. CWS stands for central water supply; AWS for alternative water supply; ACD for access to drinking water; CNS for consumption; ADP for adaptability; AFD for affordability; SoC for social capital key dimensions. Grey dots are the standard deviation value of respective key dimension within each branch.

Fig. 6

Pattern of (a) objective index of water security (OI) and its key dimensions and (b) factors of water insecurity scale (PIN and PUW) across monthly expenditures for water (in NRs).