Analysis of Gender and Other Social Dimensions of Household Water Insecurity in Ngamiland, Botswana

Abstract

This paper analyzes impacts of water insecurity on men, women and children in Botswana, a middle income and semi-arid country. The paper contributes to the burgeoning literature on water security. Households in different settlement categories of Ngamiland, Botswana experience water insecurity. Men, women, girls and children living in water insecurity lifeworlds, play various roles in ensuring household water availability. Women and girls have the greatest agency in ensuring household water availability by spending considerable time transporting water containers loaded on their heads and engaging in rainwater harvesting. Water insecurity negatively affects personal hygiene and gives rise to household interpersonal conflicts. Countries facing water insecurity, e.g. Botswana need to promote research that can inform appropriate water policies, legal frameworks, technologies for water supply and financial mechanisms for enhancing household water security.

Assessment of the relationship between water insecurity, hygiene practices, and incidence of diarrhea among children from rural households of the Menoua Division, West Cameroon

“…In a study conducted in Botswana, the prevalence of water insecurity was 60%, and it was associated with the daily use of an unimproved source of water. 14 In a study conducted by Stevenson et al 9 in drought prone communities in Ethiopia, they found that water insecurity scores ranged from 3 points to as high as 11 points of the total 23-point/statement scale. Further, water insecurity was significantly positively associated with the use of an unprotected water source and time required to fetch water.…”

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

“…HWI has been defined as “inadequate, unreliable, and unaffordable water for a healthy life” (Jepson 2014). However, a definition of water insecurity that focuses solely on availability or quality may obscure other important dynamics (Nganyanyuka et al 2014, Obeng-Odoom 2012, Subbaraman et al 2015), including social, cultural, and political relations (Jepson et al 2017b), as well as ecological processes upon which they draw (e.g., Kujinga et al 2014, Scott et al 2013, Grey and Sadoff 2007). Scholars increasingly emphasize the importance of conducting research on water in the context of relational frameworks, such as the hydrosocial cycle (Linton and Budds 2014), and complex frameworks such as coupled social-ecological systems (Liu et al 2007) and sociohydrology (Srinivasan et al 2017).…”

The nexus between household water insecurity, mother's handwashing practices, and diarrheal diseases among under-five children

“…The study revealed that the prevalence of HWIS (68.6%) was very high in the study area, which is consistent with findings obtained from West Cameroon and Botswana. The findings revealed that the prevalence of water insecurity was 58 and 60% in West Cameron and Botswana, respectively (Kujinga et al 2014;Nounkeu et al 2019). The high prevalence of water insecurity in the study area could be associated with the inadequacy of water supply, use of unimproved water sources, and unreliability of the water sources.…”