The impact of COVID-19 on households’ water use in Uganda

Abstract

The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 necessitated the promotion of better hygiene practices to curb the spread of the virus. Better hygiene requires that households have a stable supply of water. However, little is known about the predictors of changes in water use in emergency situations such as COVID-19 in Uganda. This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey to examine the changes in the quantities of water used by 1639 Ugandan households due to COVID-19. This article also explores the factors that are associated with changes in water use. The month March 2020 is used in this study as a cut-off because this is the month in which the government implemented a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. Results indicate that most households had an increase in the quantity of water used after March 2020 when compared to the period before March 2020. Household characteristics that were associated with a change in the quantity of water used were age, sex, education, main occupation of household head, household size and region of residence. The results can be used to inform the prediction and demand modelling of household water use for improved water interventions for equitable water supply under emergencies.

Household water access and COVID-19 in Karoi town, Zimbabwe

“…This implies that water consumption increased after March 2020 because households probably adhered to COVID-19 health protocols, which required more water for personal hygiene. The results of this study bear semblance with the finding of Sempewo et al (2021) in Uganda, which indicates that the amount of water consumed by households increased due to improved hygiene practices. It must, however, be pointed out that access to clean and affordable water is not a problem that stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic; rising water prices, shortages and dry taps among other water supply challenges were some of the issues earlier identified by Gondo and Kolawole (2020) prior to the pandemic.…”

“…The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and which has since become a pandemic calls for a behaviour change ( Sempewo et al, 2021 ). The most important hygiene practice in stemming the spread of COVID-19 is handwashing with soap and clean water.…”

COVID-19 and household water insecurities in vulnerable communities in the Mekong Region

“…Behavioural campaigns aimed at hygiene practices, like washing hands and wearing and washing facemasks, had stronger associations with water insecurities, as they increased needs for clean water in a context in which it may be seasonally in short supply, low in quality, or difficult to access in vulnerable communities. Studies in other low-and middle-income countries in other parts of the world have also found that risk-reducing practices require access to more clean water, and this may not be easily available (Sempewo et al, 2021;Stoler et al, 2021;Zvobgo & Do, 2020).…”

The impact of COVID-19 on urban water use: a review

“…Bich-Ngoc & Teller (2020) developed a model that showed that impact of dry weather has a much stronger impact on water demand in the Liège (Belgium) conurbation (up to a 19% surge for extreme dry weather) than a reduction in outbound tourism (increase of 2% to 5% under the most extreme reduction) due to pandemic measures. Finally, the only study conducted in a developing country showed that most Ugandan households had an increase in quantity of water utilised after March 2020, based on household survey data (Sempewo et al 2021).…”