Water insecurity, self‐reported physical health, and objective measures of biological health in the Peruvian Amazon

Tallman, Paula S.; Collins, Steven M.; Chaparro, M. Pia; Salmón-Mulanovich, Gabriela

doi:10.1002/ajhb.23805

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Blood pressure (BP) is frequently used as an indicator of stress but is influenced by hydration and environmental factors. This physiological process helps explain why there has been mixed evidence to date on the association between WI and BP (Brewis et al 2019a, Tallman et al 2022). Dehydration and hotter temperatures both lower BP, yet WI may increase risk of dehydration (Rosinger 2018).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 94%

Water Needs, Water Insecurity, and Human Biology

Rosinger

2023

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

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Water links the environment, culture, and biology. An integrative approach is needed to attain a complete picture of how water affects human biology due to its inherent interdisciplinary nature. First, this review describes advances in human water needs, thirst, and hydration strategies from a biocultural perspective. Second, it provides a critical appraisal of the literatures on water insecurity (WI) experiences and coping strategies used to mitigate WI to illustrate how they intersect to affect human biology through the embodiment framework. Deviations from water needs and heightened WI can alter hydration and coping strategies, which have implications for a suite of psychological and physiological outcomes. These disruptions are embodied in cellular damage, dehydration, nutrition, stress, mental health, cognitive impairment, aging-related effects, cardiometabolic health, and kidney function. Disrupting forces such as lifestyle changes and climate change have important implications for water needs, WI, coping and hydration strategies, and the embodiment of each. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Anthropology, Volume 52 is October 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 94%

Water Needs, Water Insecurity, and Human Biology

Rosinger

2023

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

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“…Tallman, Valdes-Velasquez, et al (2022) compared diets among the Awajún of the Peruvian Amazon in the 1970s and in 2013 and found that community members now only eat a fraction of aquatic species previously recognized as important. These changes in diet were attributed to larger ecological changes due to highway construction and were accompanied by the emergence of higher levels of obesity and anaemia among the Awajún (Tallman, Collins, et al, 2022;Tallman, Riley-Powell, et al, 2022;Tallman, Valdes-Velasquez, et al, 2022), suggesting that diverse aquatic food sources buffer against the development of chronic disease.…”

Section: Microsystem (Individual)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of research on this topic has been conducted in water‐scarce areas (Wutich, 2020). However, there is an emerging group of studies documenting water insecurity in ‘water abundant’ areas such as the Amazon rainforest in South America (Rosinger, 2018; Tallman, Collins, et al., 2022; Tallman, Riley‐Powell, et al., 2022; Tallman, Valdes‐Velasquez, et al., 2022; Torres‐Slimming et al., 2020), the Congo and Chad River basins in Africa (Nagabhatla et al., 2021), the Mekong region of Southeast Asia (Sithirith, 2021) and in communities throughout North America (Eichelberger, 2018; Martin et al., 2021). These studies highlight how anthropogenic changes related to climate change and extractive industries produce water insecurity and how water insecurity influences human health, particularly that of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) (Leonard et al., 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Waterscapes meet socio‐ecological models: A relational framework to examine water insecurity and human health and well‐being

Tallman,

Piland,

Villarmarzo

et al. 2024

People and Nature

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Water insecurity, the inability to benefit from affordable, adequate, reliable and safe water, is one of the greatest contemporary threats facing humans. While ‘water insecurity’, as a concept, is globally recognized and serves an essential function in policymaking, it does not capture the multiple, relational connections between Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and water systems. We contend that studies of water insecurity and health among IPLCs can be improved by applying a systematic approach to the concept of waterscapes. The term waterscape describes the socio‐natural relations between humans and water. To make examining waterscapes more systematic and to draw attention to the importance of health within waterscapes, we use a four‐tiered socio–ecological approach to describe the multi‐level interactions between IPLCs and local water systems in the Amazonian watershed. We then apply this four‐tiered model to the case of the Belo Monte dam in the Brazilian Amazon to identify the specific health impacts of disrupting the Xingu River waterscape. Applying the four‐tiered socio‐ecological approach to the Belo Monte case study showed that this dam led to flooding and compromised water quality that local people associated with an increased risk for chronic health conditions, such as kidney and renal diseases, and vector‐borne diseases, such as dengue. Displacement due to the dam threatened food security, economic security, community cohesion and the cultural survival of multiple IPLCs along the Xingu river. Our approach uncovers not only the direct consequences of the dam on water insecurity but also the broader implications for community well‐being and cultural integrity, addressing the diverse challenges arising from human‐water interactions. The four‐tiered approach for assessing waterscapes offers a framework that enables a comprehensive examination of the intricate relations between water and humans. While there are overlaps among the levels, this framework is applicable to other situations where mining, oil extraction and the construction of hydrovías are substantially altering local waterscapes. Tools such as this one can promote more meaningful engagement between researchers, policymakers, and IPLCs in defining the range of outcomes to be considered in social and environmental impact assessments. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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“…1 Studies have shown that lack of clean water is associated with food insecurity, diarrheal disease, heightened blood pressure, poor mental health, and poor perceived health. [2][3][4][5][6] It is therefore essential to improve water-related intervention efforts.Sabana Larga is a rural community of approximately 230 families located in the province of Dajabon on the Northwest region of the Dominican Republic. The community relies heavily on rivers and streams for domestic water use including bathing, washing, cleaning, and cooking.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

My Experience Building a Water System in a Small Rural Community in the Dominican Republic

Wright

2023

Int J Med Stud

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Clean water is vital for physical, social, and mental health, however, water insecurity is a public health threat for many countries. Sabana Larga is a rural community made up of approximately 230 families located in the province of Dajabon on the Northwest region of the Dominican Republic. Building a new water system has been a priority for the community for many years, however the reason for the delay in the process is the lack of funds and assistance in building such a water system. In 2016, as a Peace Corps volunteer living in the community, I asked the Saint Cloud Rotary club for financial support to build a new water system. The objective of this paper is to share my experience of building a water system in a rural community in the Dominican Republic with the Saint Cloud Rotary Club, the Dajabon Rotary Club, local engineers, and the local community. Between April 2017 and June 2017, the new water system in Sabana Larga was successfully implemented. The water system improved access to clean and safe drinking water for all families, leading to a healthier community and better quality of life. Many lessons were learned throughout the process including the importance of community involvement, understanding local customs and traditions, establishing a Water Committee, and gaining various skills.

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Water insecurity, self‐reported physical health, and objective measures of biological health in the Peruvian Amazon

Cited by 6 publications

References 15 publications

Water Needs, Water Insecurity, and Human Biology

Water Needs, Water Insecurity, and Human Biology

Waterscapes meet socio‐ecological models: A relational framework to examine water insecurity and human health and well‐being

My Experience Building a Water System in a Small Rural Community in the Dominican Republic

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