The human cycle of water: water management and anthropogenic contaminant pathways in Pótam, Sonora, Mexico’s water cycle

Abstract

Women are the primary decision makers regarding household water sources in many developing nations, but are often overlooked by researchers and organizations as primary water managers. This study took place in Pótam, Sonora, Mexico, during the summer of 2007, with a follow-up visit in February 2008. The study aimed at understand the human cycle of water by identifying potential exposure pathways for water contamination, as well as to understand the link between cultural beliefs, perceptions, and associated health issues. In total, sixty women were interviewed, as well as community elders and the Water Committee president. Discussions of household water use decisions, perceptions of disease causation, and treatment proved crucial in the discovery of potential pathways by which anthropogenic contaminants come into contact with the water cycle in Pótam. Most of the households (87%) believe their water sources are contaminated with biological and or chemical contaminants. Furthermore, of the sixty informants interviewed, seventy percent reported diarrhea as a common symptom. The majority of informants (76%) made a link between consumption of contaminated water and high rates of diarrhea. The study determined that the community is in need of outreach programs geared toward women as household water managers, independent lab analysis of water quality samples, and an epidemiological study to determine the causes for the most commonly reported illness and symptoms.Keywords Environmental health Á Chemical and biological contaminants Á Drinking water Á Northwestern Mexico Á Water managers Á Water quality Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.

Water and sanitation are not gender-neutral: human rights in rural Brazilian communities

“…Several studies, conducted in different countries, indicate that in rural contexts, women dedicate more time to the execution of activities related to water supply and sanitation than men (Wutich, 2009;Pilling, 2011;Crow et al, 2012;Caruso et al, 2017;Routray et al, 2017b). Researchers have revealed, regardless of the country, gender norms are deeply rooted in sociocultural aspects and reflect, explicitly or implicitly, the tasks performed in the home (Kandiyoti, 1988;Stevenson et al, 2012;Gómez & Winkler, 2015;Routray et al, 2017b;UNDP-SIWI, 2017).…”

“…In fact, many researchers have focused on the greater negative impact on women when there is inadequate and/or absent water supply and sanitation solutions. Most of this research is dedicated to urban areas, peripheries, or rural areas, all of which are in a situation of vulnerability (Brewster et al, 2006;Wutich, 2009;Pilling, 2011;Crow et al, 2012;Kwiringira et al, 2014;McCarthy, 2014;Paria et al, 2014;Hirve et al, 2015;Padhi et al, 2015;Kansal et al, 2016;Caruso et al, 2017Caruso et al, , 2018Routray et al, 2017a). Based on qualitative and quantitative approaches, current studies reveal, especially, the negative impacts on women's health and quality of life, as they devote a considerable part of their time to water supply activities or suffer more from inappropriate sanitary solutions (Geere et al, 2010;Stevenson et al, 2012;Campbell et al, 2015;Hirve et al, 2015;Hulland et al, 2015).…”

Achieving the sustainable development goals: a case study of the complexity of water quality health risks in Malawi

“…Hence, factors like those listed above can reinforce outdated information or influence people to adopt inaccurate and dangerous perceptions, attitudes, and practices. Finally, cultural beliefs are an important factor in water management, especially concerning the role of women, local history, and local politics [ 14 , 15 ]. Analysts must attend to the actual concerns, attitudes, and opinions of the target audience in order to design effective public health risk communication programs [ 16 ].…”