Pub Date : 2024-07-05DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000244
B. H. Hauptman, Thomas C. Harmon, Ziad Nasef, Angela A. Rosales, Colleen C. Naughton
In rural agricultural regions characterized by historical fumigant use and in industrial areas, groundwater contamination by 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) poses a significant environmental and health concern due to its potential as a carcinogen. This study evaluates the effectiveness of commercially available water pitchers equipped with carbon filters and almond biochar for point-of-use TCP treatment. The study found that the filters were able to remove TCP (>98%) from untreated groundwater during their lifespan, and different filter brands with varying flow rates showed no significant difference in TCP removal. These results suggest that these pitchers may provide a simple and efficient short-term solution. Furthermore, the study explored the feasibility of low-cost, locally sourced biochar derived from almond shells as a sustainable alternative to traditional carbon feedstocks. Batch isotherm tests, BET analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging were used for biochar studies. The study found that the almond biochar used had a low surface area and total pore volume in comparison to commercial Granular Activated Carbons (GACs) and that more than half of the total area was composed of micropores (< 2 nm), while XPS surveys revealed the presence of Calcium, Phosphorus, and Potassium on the char’s surface. Finally, batch isotherm studies show that almond biochar exhibits lower TCP absorption efficiency compared to commercially available granulated carbon. However, further research into biochar produced under varied pyrolysis conditions is needed to determine its potential as a substitute for coconut shells. These findings can provide affected communities with information on efficient and cost-effective treatment technologies of TCP at the domestic well and household levels.
{"title":"Evaluation of point-of-use treatments and biochar to reduce 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) contamination in drinking water","authors":"B. H. Hauptman, Thomas C. Harmon, Ziad Nasef, Angela A. Rosales, Colleen C. Naughton","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000244","url":null,"abstract":"In rural agricultural regions characterized by historical fumigant use and in industrial areas, groundwater contamination by 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) poses a significant environmental and health concern due to its potential as a carcinogen. This study evaluates the effectiveness of commercially available water pitchers equipped with carbon filters and almond biochar for point-of-use TCP treatment. The study found that the filters were able to remove TCP (>98%) from untreated groundwater during their lifespan, and different filter brands with varying flow rates showed no significant difference in TCP removal. These results suggest that these pitchers may provide a simple and efficient short-term solution. Furthermore, the study explored the feasibility of low-cost, locally sourced biochar derived from almond shells as a sustainable alternative to traditional carbon feedstocks. Batch isotherm tests, BET analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging were used for biochar studies. The study found that the almond biochar used had a low surface area and total pore volume in comparison to commercial Granular Activated Carbons (GACs) and that more than half of the total area was composed of micropores (< 2 nm), while XPS surveys revealed the presence of Calcium, Phosphorus, and Potassium on the char’s surface. Finally, batch isotherm studies show that almond biochar exhibits lower TCP absorption efficiency compared to commercially available granulated carbon. However, further research into biochar produced under varied pyrolysis conditions is needed to determine its potential as a substitute for coconut shells. These findings can provide affected communities with information on efficient and cost-effective treatment technologies of TCP at the domestic well and household levels.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":" 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141676495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-02DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000223
Julie Watson, Noah Okumu, Joseph O. Wasonga, H. Majiwa, Alice Kiarie, Sherril P. Masudi, Linnet Ochieng, Lorren Alumasa, Christine Mutisya, E. Cook, Oliver Cumming
Young children are particularly vulnerable to foodborne disease due to their immature immune systems. Safe food hygiene behaviours by caregivers can potentially reduce this disease burden. Here, we evaluate the potential for a locally designed intervention to improve caregivers’ food hygiene behaviour in a peri-urban, low-income area of Nairobi, Kenya. In this cluster-randomised proof-of-concept trial, 50 community health volunteers (CHVs) were randomly assigned to intervention or control arm (1:1). 101 households under the CHV’s catchment (2-3/CHV), with at least one child aged 6–24 months, participated. Caregivers in intervention households (n = 50) received the CHV-delivered food hygiene intervention. The control arm (n-51) received no intervention. Blinding was not possible due to the nature of the intervention. Our primary outcome was the proportion of caregivers observed to practice all five pre-specified food hygiene behaviours, four weeks post intervention delivery. Secondary outcomes assessed the five observed behaviours individually plus a sixth behaviour—the proportion of caregivers who report always boiling the child’s drinking water. We found no between-arm difference in the proportion of caregivers practising all five observed behaviours. However individually, five behaviours were significantly improved. Specifically, caregivers in the intervention arm had higher odds of washing their hands before feeding the child (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 7.40, 95%CI 1.85, 29.62) and before preparing the child’s food (aOR = 7.05, 95%CI 1.52, 32.71), washing the child’s hands before eating (aOR = 21.57, 95%CI 1.15, 405.93) and heating the child’s food (aOR = 4.03, 95%CI 1.27, 12.85) and drinking water (aOR = 12.82, 95%CI 2.54, 64.77) to boiling. There was no effect on cleaning and storage of feeding utensils. This study offers promising preliminary evidence that a CHV-led intervention targeting caregivers of young children can improve their food hygiene behaviour. Our findings warrant further research to refine the intervention and undertake larger scale trials to explore the intervention’s potential impact more comprehensively. Trial registration: This trial was registered with Open Science Framework: osf.io/eu5kf.
{"title":"A proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial of an intervention designed to improve food hygiene behaviours among caregivers of young children living in low-income areas of Nairobi, Kenya","authors":"Julie Watson, Noah Okumu, Joseph O. Wasonga, H. Majiwa, Alice Kiarie, Sherril P. Masudi, Linnet Ochieng, Lorren Alumasa, Christine Mutisya, E. Cook, Oliver Cumming","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000223","url":null,"abstract":"Young children are particularly vulnerable to foodborne disease due to their immature immune systems. Safe food hygiene behaviours by caregivers can potentially reduce this disease burden. Here, we evaluate the potential for a locally designed intervention to improve caregivers’ food hygiene behaviour in a peri-urban, low-income area of Nairobi, Kenya. In this cluster-randomised proof-of-concept trial, 50 community health volunteers (CHVs) were randomly assigned to intervention or control arm (1:1). 101 households under the CHV’s catchment (2-3/CHV), with at least one child aged 6–24 months, participated. Caregivers in intervention households (n = 50) received the CHV-delivered food hygiene intervention. The control arm (n-51) received no intervention. Blinding was not possible due to the nature of the intervention. Our primary outcome was the proportion of caregivers observed to practice all five pre-specified food hygiene behaviours, four weeks post intervention delivery. Secondary outcomes assessed the five observed behaviours individually plus a sixth behaviour—the proportion of caregivers who report always boiling the child’s drinking water. We found no between-arm difference in the proportion of caregivers practising all five observed behaviours. However individually, five behaviours were significantly improved. Specifically, caregivers in the intervention arm had higher odds of washing their hands before feeding the child (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 7.40, 95%CI 1.85, 29.62) and before preparing the child’s food (aOR = 7.05, 95%CI 1.52, 32.71), washing the child’s hands before eating (aOR = 21.57, 95%CI 1.15, 405.93) and heating the child’s food (aOR = 4.03, 95%CI 1.27, 12.85) and drinking water (aOR = 12.82, 95%CI 2.54, 64.77) to boiling. There was no effect on cleaning and storage of feeding utensils. This study offers promising preliminary evidence that a CHV-led intervention targeting caregivers of young children can improve their food hygiene behaviour. Our findings warrant further research to refine the intervention and undertake larger scale trials to explore the intervention’s potential impact more comprehensively.\u0000Trial registration: This trial was registered with Open Science Framework: osf.io/eu5kf.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"24 32","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141685395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-01DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000102
S. Jupiter, Aaron P. Jenkins, J. Negin, Shylett Sonam Anthony, Ponipate Baleinamau, Rachel Devi, Sikeli Gavidi, Alice Latinne, Kinikoto Mailautoka, S. Mangubhai, Kelera Naivalu, Timoci Naivalulevu, Vilisi Naivalulevu, Nabeela Nasim, Sikeli Naucunivanua, Sarah Nelson, Ingrid Qauqau, Anaseini Ratu, Mereia Ravoka, Jacqueline Thomas, Andrew Tukana, Paul van Nimwegen, Ama Wakwella, Amelia Wenger, Donald Wilson, Pierre Horwitz
Watersheds offer opportunities for place-based interventions to transform systems health via preventative versus reactive approaches to management that achieve multiple co-benefits for public and environmental health. The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project embraced participatory knowledge co-production and action-oriented research to identify risks to public and ecosystem health, prioritize interventions to address risks, and monitor responses of the system to interventions. We used screening filters and local knowledge to collaboratively identify five watersheds for action with high prior incidence of water-related diseases (Fiji’s “three plagues” of leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue) and high risk to downstream environmental health. We reviewed literature to identify disease risk factors, evaluated overlaps with risks for downstream environmental impact, and designed 13 instruments to collect information about baseline risk. Following consultations to obtain free, prior and informed consent, we enrolled 311 households across 29 communities. We synthesized data to identify key risks at the household, community, and landscape level, which were communicated to community water and resource management committees and government leaders as part of developing water and sanitation safety plans for each community. Local committees identified 339 priority risk reduction actions across nine main categories: animal management; drainage; health systems surveillance; hygiene; integrated planning; land use management; sanitation systems; waste management; and water systems. As of October 2022, 154 interventions were implemented in the five watersheds across different risk categories and scales. While we can track changes to factors that reduce risk of water-related disease and improve environmental health, direct evaluation of impacts to public health is limited due to poor geolocation of case records. The WISH Fiji project is a model of cross-sectoral coordination that efficiently progresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals, but scaling requires sustained investment in interventions to realize full benefits, particularly for nature-based solutions that exhibit lagged responses.
{"title":"Transforming place-based management within watersheds in Fiji: The watershed interventions for systems health project","authors":"S. Jupiter, Aaron P. Jenkins, J. Negin, Shylett Sonam Anthony, Ponipate Baleinamau, Rachel Devi, Sikeli Gavidi, Alice Latinne, Kinikoto Mailautoka, S. Mangubhai, Kelera Naivalu, Timoci Naivalulevu, Vilisi Naivalulevu, Nabeela Nasim, Sikeli Naucunivanua, Sarah Nelson, Ingrid Qauqau, Anaseini Ratu, Mereia Ravoka, Jacqueline Thomas, Andrew Tukana, Paul van Nimwegen, Ama Wakwella, Amelia Wenger, Donald Wilson, Pierre Horwitz","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000102","url":null,"abstract":"Watersheds offer opportunities for place-based interventions to transform systems health via preventative versus reactive approaches to management that achieve multiple co-benefits for public and environmental health. The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project embraced participatory knowledge co-production and action-oriented research to identify risks to public and ecosystem health, prioritize interventions to address risks, and monitor responses of the system to interventions. We used screening filters and local knowledge to collaboratively identify five watersheds for action with high prior incidence of water-related diseases (Fiji’s “three plagues” of leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue) and high risk to downstream environmental health. We reviewed literature to identify disease risk factors, evaluated overlaps with risks for downstream environmental impact, and designed 13 instruments to collect information about baseline risk. Following consultations to obtain free, prior and informed consent, we enrolled 311 households across 29 communities. We synthesized data to identify key risks at the household, community, and landscape level, which were communicated to community water and resource management committees and government leaders as part of developing water and sanitation safety plans for each community. Local committees identified 339 priority risk reduction actions across nine main categories: animal management; drainage; health systems surveillance; hygiene; integrated planning; land use management; sanitation systems; waste management; and water systems. As of October 2022, 154 interventions were implemented in the five watersheds across different risk categories and scales. While we can track changes to factors that reduce risk of water-related disease and improve environmental health, direct evaluation of impacts to public health is limited due to poor geolocation of case records. The WISH Fiji project is a model of cross-sectoral coordination that efficiently progresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals, but scaling requires sustained investment in interventions to realize full benefits, particularly for nature-based solutions that exhibit lagged responses.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141708740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-01DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000261
Evan A. Thomas
{"title":"Turning global water security research into policy and action","authors":"Evan A. Thomas","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000261","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"48 48","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141689691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-20DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000219
Lilly A O'Brien, Jedidiah S Snyder, Joshua V Garn, Rebecca Kann, Antonio Júnior, Sandy McGunegill, Bacelar Muneme, João Luís Manuel, Rassul Nalá, Karen Levy, Matthew C Freeman
Drinking water access and water and food insecurity have been linked to mental well-being, but few studies have comprehensively assessed potential pathways linking these associations. Understanding these mediation pathways is particularly important among pregnant women, as prenatal stress and poor mental well-being have been shown to negatively impact fetal development. In this study, we address this gap by analyzing the relationships between drinking water source and water and food insecurity with mental well-being amongst pregnant women living in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. Data for this cross-sectional analysis were collected among third-trimester, pregnant women (n=740) from February 2021 through October 2022 as part of a matched cohort study. Validated, cross-cultural measures of mental well-being and household water and food insecurity were administered in the survey. Drinking water source was determined by presence of a household drinking water source on-premises. We used logistic regression to characterize the associations between drinking water source, water and food insecurity, and mental well-being and causal mediation analysis to determine mediation by food and water insecurity along these pathways. We found evidence that water insecurity (OR 1.44; 95%CI 1.02, 2.02) and food insecurity (OR 2.27; 95%CI 1.57, 3.34) were individually associated with adverse mental well-being. Drinking water source was not associated with mental well-being (OR 1.00; 95%CI 0.71, 1.39), water insecurity (OR 0.86; 95%CI 0.60, 1.24), or food insecurity (OR 1.02; 95%CI 0.71, 1.47). Food insecurity may also mediate the relationship between water insecurity and mental well-being (ACME 0.05; 95%CI 0.02, 0.07; ADE 0.04; 95%CI -0.04, 0.13). Our findings support growing literature that water and food insecurity are important to mental well-being, a key aspect of overall health. Further research is needed to confirm causality along these pathways and determine specific mechanisms through which these interactions take place.
{"title":"Water, food, and mental well-being: Associations between drinking water source, household water and food insecurity, and mental well-being of low-income pregnant women in urban Mozambique.","authors":"Lilly A O'Brien, Jedidiah S Snyder, Joshua V Garn, Rebecca Kann, Antonio Júnior, Sandy McGunegill, Bacelar Muneme, João Luís Manuel, Rassul Nalá, Karen Levy, Matthew C Freeman","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000219","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000219","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drinking water access and water and food insecurity have been linked to mental well-being, but few studies have comprehensively assessed potential pathways linking these associations. Understanding these mediation pathways is particularly important among pregnant women, as prenatal stress and poor mental well-being have been shown to negatively impact fetal development. In this study, we address this gap by analyzing the relationships between drinking water source and water and food insecurity with mental well-being amongst pregnant women living in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. Data for this cross-sectional analysis were collected among third-trimester, pregnant women (n=740) from February 2021 through October 2022 as part of a matched cohort study. Validated, cross-cultural measures of mental well-being and household water and food insecurity were administered in the survey. Drinking water source was determined by presence of a household drinking water source on-premises. We used logistic regression to characterize the associations between drinking water source, water and food insecurity, and mental well-being and causal mediation analysis to determine mediation by food and water insecurity along these pathways. We found evidence that water insecurity (OR 1.44; 95%CI 1.02, 2.02) and food insecurity (OR 2.27; 95%CI 1.57, 3.34) were individually associated with adverse mental well-being. Drinking water source was not associated with mental well-being (OR 1.00; 95%CI 0.71, 1.39), water insecurity (OR 0.86; 95%CI 0.60, 1.24), or food insecurity (OR 1.02; 95%CI 0.71, 1.47). Food insecurity may also mediate the relationship between water insecurity and mental well-being (ACME 0.05; 95%CI 0.02, 0.07; ADE 0.04; 95%CI -0.04, 0.13). Our findings support growing literature that water and food insecurity are important to mental well-being, a key aspect of overall health. Further research is needed to confirm causality along these pathways and determine specific mechanisms through which these interactions take place.</p>","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"3 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11823147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143416343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-14DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000252
Tanvi Bhatkal, Lyla Mehta, Roshni Sumitra
Sanitation is fundamental for health and wellbeing yet cities, especially in the global South, face challenges in providing safely managed sanitation systems. Global and national sanitation campaigns tend to focus on the visible aspects of being ‘on grid’ in terms of toilet construction and connections but rarely address the dangerous, invisible aspects of being ‘off grid’ such as poor or unsafe excreta disposal and inadequate faecal sludge management (often considered to be second or third generation sanitation challenges). These, however, tend to disproportionately affect poor and marginalised people in off-grid locations in rapidly urbanising areas. This review paper engages critically with the growing literature on the challenges of faecal sludge management and circular economy solutions. Through the lens of exclusion and marginality, we review debates regarding access to safely managed sanitation, the burden of sanitation workers and safely recovering value from shit. We argue that sanitation systems often reproduce and exacerbate existing societal hierarchies and discriminations in terms of unequal access to safely managed sanitation and the burden of maintaining sanitation infrastructures. It is thus important for future research on faecal sludge management and resource recovery from shit to focus on issues of marginality and exclusion.
{"title":"Neglected second and third generation challenges of urban sanitation: A review of the marginality and exclusion dimensions of safely managed sanitation","authors":"Tanvi Bhatkal, Lyla Mehta, Roshni Sumitra","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000252","url":null,"abstract":"Sanitation is fundamental for health and wellbeing yet cities, especially in the global South, face challenges in providing safely managed sanitation systems. Global and national sanitation campaigns tend to focus on the visible aspects of being ‘on grid’ in terms of toilet construction and connections but rarely address the dangerous, invisible aspects of being ‘off grid’ such as poor or unsafe excreta disposal and inadequate faecal sludge management (often considered to be second or third generation sanitation challenges). These, however, tend to disproportionately affect poor and marginalised people in off-grid locations in rapidly urbanising areas. This review paper engages critically with the growing literature on the challenges of faecal sludge management and circular economy solutions. Through the lens of exclusion and marginality, we review debates regarding access to safely managed sanitation, the burden of sanitation workers and safely recovering value from shit. We argue that sanitation systems often reproduce and exacerbate existing societal hierarchies and discriminations in terms of unequal access to safely managed sanitation and the burden of maintaining sanitation infrastructures. It is thus important for future research on faecal sludge management and resource recovery from shit to focus on issues of marginality and exclusion.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"45 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141338383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-13DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000192
Vicky Espinoza, J. Viers
Societies globally are struggling to meet freshwater demands while agencies attempt to address water access inequities under a rapidly changing climate and growing population. An understanding of dynamic interactions between people and water, known as sociohydrology, regionally could provide approaches to addressing local water mismanagement and water access inequity. In semi-arid California, local water agencies, primarily agricultural irrigation districts, are at the intersection of rethinking approaches to balance freshwater demands. More than 150 years of complex water governance and management have defined San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts and the region’s water access inequities and sociohydrologic instability. Older irrigation districts have higher surface water allocations and less groundwater dependence. About 60% of irrigation districts with pre-1914 water rights have twice the crop water demand in surface water allocations. In contrast, 86% of irrigation districts depend on groundwater, of which 12% rely exclusively on groundwater to supply irrigation demands. This study found that disadvantaged communities within irrigation districts do not have increased water access or better environmental conditions than those outside irrigation district boundaries, which underscores the need for inclusive water management structures to address the multifaceted water and environmental inequities. Groundwater overdependence across irrigation districts shows that imbalanced surface water allocations and inflexible crops could imperil agriculture and impact agricultural disadvantaged communities, especially under California’s SGMA and prolonged drought events. It is imperative that underserved communities are prioritized communities in achieving equitable water rebalance in California in addition to developing and implementing essential infrastructure and policy changes.
{"title":"The paradox of production: Surface water supply drives agricultural productivity but not prosperity in California’s San Joaquin Valley","authors":"Vicky Espinoza, J. Viers","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000192","url":null,"abstract":"Societies globally are struggling to meet freshwater demands while agencies attempt to address water access inequities under a rapidly changing climate and growing population. An understanding of dynamic interactions between people and water, known as sociohydrology, regionally could provide approaches to addressing local water mismanagement and water access inequity. In semi-arid California, local water agencies, primarily agricultural irrigation districts, are at the intersection of rethinking approaches to balance freshwater demands. More than 150 years of complex water governance and management have defined San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts and the region’s water access inequities and sociohydrologic instability. Older irrigation districts have higher surface water allocations and less groundwater dependence. About 60% of irrigation districts with pre-1914 water rights have twice the crop water demand in surface water allocations. In contrast, 86% of irrigation districts depend on groundwater, of which 12% rely exclusively on groundwater to supply irrigation demands. This study found that disadvantaged communities within irrigation districts do not have increased water access or better environmental conditions than those outside irrigation district boundaries, which underscores the need for inclusive water management structures to address the multifaceted water and environmental inequities. Groundwater overdependence across irrigation districts shows that imbalanced surface water allocations and inflexible crops could imperil agriculture and impact agricultural disadvantaged communities, especially under California’s SGMA and prolonged drought events. It is imperative that underserved communities are prioritized communities in achieving equitable water rebalance in California in addition to developing and implementing essential infrastructure and policy changes.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"44 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141345179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-11DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000257
Jane Wilbur, R. Dreibelbis, I. Mactaggart
One in six people worldwide experiences significant disability. Many of these people living in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected by inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, a fundamental necessity for health and well-being. This review aimed to examine the existing evidence on disability and WASH in LMICs, identify gaps and make recommendations to strengthen disability-inclusive WASH research, policies and practices to make significant progress by 2030. While evidence of WASH challenges faced by people with disabilities has grown in the last decade, revealing significant inequalities, there is a lack of controlled studies to assess the impact of disability-inclusive WASH interventions. This research gap makes it difficult to prioritise investments for scalable solutions. This review proposes three key recommendations: 1) Further expand research on WASH challenges faced by people with disabilities, prioritising climate risks, health impacts, and educational inequalities. 2) Design and test evidence-based disability-inclusive WASH interventions. 3) Rigorously evaluate these interventions to determine what successfully reduces WASH disparities for people with disabilities and their caregivers cost-effectively. This review is the first to synthesise available evidence across disability and WASH and offer a roadmap for future efforts to drive improvements in disability-inclusive WASH by 2030.
{"title":"Addressing water, sanitation and hygiene inequalities: A review of evidence, gaps, and recommendations for disability-inclusive WASH by 2030","authors":"Jane Wilbur, R. Dreibelbis, I. Mactaggart","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000257","url":null,"abstract":"One in six people worldwide experiences significant disability. Many of these people living in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected by inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, a fundamental necessity for health and well-being. This review aimed to examine the existing evidence on disability and WASH in LMICs, identify gaps and make recommendations to strengthen disability-inclusive WASH research, policies and practices to make significant progress by 2030. While evidence of WASH challenges faced by people with disabilities has grown in the last decade, revealing significant inequalities, there is a lack of controlled studies to assess the impact of disability-inclusive WASH interventions. This research gap makes it difficult to prioritise investments for scalable solutions. This review proposes three key recommendations: 1) Further expand research on WASH challenges faced by people with disabilities, prioritising climate risks, health impacts, and educational inequalities. 2) Design and test evidence-based disability-inclusive WASH interventions. 3) Rigorously evaluate these interventions to determine what successfully reduces WASH disparities for people with disabilities and their caregivers cost-effectively. This review is the first to synthesise available evidence across disability and WASH and offer a roadmap for future efforts to drive improvements in disability-inclusive WASH by 2030.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"63 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141358469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-11DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000239
Indira Bose, R. Dreibelbis, Rosemary Green, Kris A. Murray, Omar Ceesay, Sari Kovats
Climate change could pose a threat to water security for many communities, particularly in settings where rainfall patterns are becoming more varied and there is higher frequency of extreme events, such as heavy rainfall and droughts. Understanding how rainfall affects water security—including water access, water quality and water use behaviours—can inform investment in more climate-resilient infrastructure and safeguard against future health risks. This study aims to explore how households in rural Gambia experienced water security in relation to seasonal rainfall patterns and extreme weather events. Data collection focused on two communities (Kiang West and Basse) with differing access to water infrastructure, within which some villages had greater access to groundwater sources, such as solar-powered boreholes, and others primarily used uncovered wells. 46 participants were interviewed in Spring 2022 using multiple qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and transect walks. We found that people’s experience of water security and rainfall (including seasonal rainfall, drought and heavy rainfall) was complex and varied according to the primary household water source. Both dry and rainy season posed challenges to household water security in terms of quality and quantity. Households with access to more resilient infrastructure, such as solar-powered boreholes, discussed a shift in the relationship between weather and water security, where they were less vulnerable to water shortages during dry conditions compared to those using wells. However, these sources did not fully resolve water security issues, as they experienced water shortages during cloudy conditions. Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, heightened perceived water issues, as these events sometimes damaged water infrastructure and contaminated water sources. Seasonal workloads, that were higher in the rainy season, also jeopardised water security, as this limited time for water collection. Increased investment in infrastructure, maintenance, water-treatment and behavioural change is required to mitigate the risks.
气候变化可能会对许多社区的用水安全构成威胁，尤其是在降雨模式变得更加多变、暴雨和干旱等极端事件发生频率较高的环境中。了解降雨如何影响水安全--包括水的获取、水质和用水行为--可以为投资更具气候适应性的基础设施提供依据，并防范未来的健康风险。本研究旨在探讨冈比亚农村家庭如何体验与季节性降雨模式和极端天气事件相关的水安全问题。数据收集工作主要集中在两个社区（Kiang West 和 Basse），这两个社区的供水基础设施条件各不相同，其中一些村庄更容易获得地下水源，如太阳能井眼，而另一些村庄则主要使用无盖水井。2022 年春季，我们采用多种定性方法对 46 名参与者进行了访谈，包括深度访谈和横断面步行。我们发现，人们对水安全和降雨（包括季节性降雨、干旱和暴雨）的体验非常复杂，而且因家庭主要水源的不同而各异。旱季和雨季都对家庭用水安全的质量和数量构成挑战。使用太阳能井眼等抗灾能力较强的基础设施的家庭讨论了天气与水安全之间关系的转变，与使用水井的家庭相比，他们在干旱条件下更不容易受到缺水的影响。然而，这些水源并不能完全解决水安全问题，因为他们在阴天也会遇到缺水问题。暴雨等极端天气事件加剧了人们对水问题的认识，因为这些事件有时会破坏供水基础设施并污染水源。雨季的季节性工作量较大，也会危及水安全，因为这限制了取水时间。需要增加对基础设施、维护、水处理和行为改变的投资，以降低风险。
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Pub Date : 2024-06-06DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000216
Cornelius K. A. Pienaah, Sulemana Ansumah Saaka, E. Batung, Kamaldeen Mohammed, Isaac Luginaah
The global community is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) by 2030. Many low- and middle-income countries like Ghana still struggle with water insecurity. In semi-arid regions like Ghana’s Upper West, climate change has worsened water insecurity, leading to health and livelihood consequences. In UWR, limited studies have explored water insecurity in rural areas. This study fills a knowledge gap by investigating the determinants of water insecurity in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR) from a political ecology of health (PEH) perspective. It comprehensively explores the interplay of social, economic, political, environmental, and health-related factors contributing to water insecurity in the UWR. The results from binary logistic regression show that households in the wealthier category (OR = 0.475, p<0.05) and those that spent less than thirty minutes on a roundtrip to fetch water (OR = 0.474, p<0.01) were less likely to experience water insecurity. On the other hand, households that did not use rainwater harvesting methods (OR = 2.117, p<0.01), had to travel over a kilometer to access water (OR = 3.249, p<0.01), had inadequate water storage systems (OR = 2.290, p<0.001), did not treat their water (OR = 2.601, p<0.001), were exposed to water-induced infections (OR = 3.473, p<0.001), did not receive any water, hygiene, and sanitation education (OR = 2.575, p<0.01), and faced water scarcity during the dry season (OR = 2.340, p<0.001) were at a higher risk of experiencing water insecurity. To mitigate the risks of water insecurity and adverse health impacts, policymakers and practitioners must work together to educate households on effective water conservation, storage, and treatment techniques. It is recommended that households harvest rainwater as a coping strategy, construct appropriate storage systems, and treat their water. Communal self-help water investments should be encouraged and supported. Given the significant aquifers and semi-arid landscape of the UWR, investing in groundwater development should be a top priority.
{"title":"Household water insecurity experience in the Upper West Region of Ghana: Insights for effective water resource management","authors":"Cornelius K. A. Pienaah, Sulemana Ansumah Saaka, E. Batung, Kamaldeen Mohammed, Isaac Luginaah","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000216","url":null,"abstract":"The global community is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) by 2030. Many low- and middle-income countries like Ghana still struggle with water insecurity. In semi-arid regions like Ghana’s Upper West, climate change has worsened water insecurity, leading to health and livelihood consequences. In UWR, limited studies have explored water insecurity in rural areas. This study fills a knowledge gap by investigating the determinants of water insecurity in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR) from a political ecology of health (PEH) perspective. It comprehensively explores the interplay of social, economic, political, environmental, and health-related factors contributing to water insecurity in the UWR. The results from binary logistic regression show that households in the wealthier category (OR = 0.475, p<0.05) and those that spent less than thirty minutes on a roundtrip to fetch water (OR = 0.474, p<0.01) were less likely to experience water insecurity. On the other hand, households that did not use rainwater harvesting methods (OR = 2.117, p<0.01), had to travel over a kilometer to access water (OR = 3.249, p<0.01), had inadequate water storage systems (OR = 2.290, p<0.001), did not treat their water (OR = 2.601, p<0.001), were exposed to water-induced infections (OR = 3.473, p<0.001), did not receive any water, hygiene, and sanitation education (OR = 2.575, p<0.01), and faced water scarcity during the dry season (OR = 2.340, p<0.001) were at a higher risk of experiencing water insecurity. To mitigate the risks of water insecurity and adverse health impacts, policymakers and practitioners must work together to educate households on effective water conservation, storage, and treatment techniques. It is recommended that households harvest rainwater as a coping strategy, construct appropriate storage systems, and treat their water. Communal self-help water investments should be encouraged and supported. Given the significant aquifers and semi-arid landscape of the UWR, investing in groundwater development should be a top priority.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"27 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141379760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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