Pub Date : 2024-01-24DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000222
M. Mycoo, R. Roopnarine
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face multiple developmental challenges including the adverse impacts of climate change. Among these complex challenges is the critical issue of devising strategies and plans to achieve water resource sustainability. The combined effects of hydro-climatic hazards such as droughts, rising sea levels, floods and increasing socio-economic pressures have already begun to adversely impact on SIDS water resources. This review article examined studies on ten English-speaking Caribbean SIDS to explore challenges and opportunities for enhancing water resource sustainability in the Caribbean and to identify emerging research gaps. A desk review and synthesis of existing data and available literature including reports, policy documents, peer-reviewed journal articles and books published over the last ten years were conducted to highlight research gaps in water resource sustainability. The conclusion presents a way forward for SIDS to cope with the consequences of climate change on their vital water resources. The findings from this paper can inform regional polices, strategies and plan and direct research to critical areas where information is needed to support evidenced-based decision making. The review is useful for academics, policymakers and practitioners.
{"title":"Water resource sustainability: Challenges, opportunities and research gaps in the English-speaking Caribbean Small Island Developing States","authors":"M. Mycoo, R. Roopnarine","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000222","url":null,"abstract":"Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face multiple developmental challenges including the adverse impacts of climate change. Among these complex challenges is the critical issue of devising strategies and plans to achieve water resource sustainability. The combined effects of hydro-climatic hazards such as droughts, rising sea levels, floods and increasing socio-economic pressures have already begun to adversely impact on SIDS water resources. This review article examined studies on ten English-speaking Caribbean SIDS to explore challenges and opportunities for enhancing water resource sustainability in the Caribbean and to identify emerging research gaps. A desk review and synthesis of existing data and available literature including reports, policy documents, peer-reviewed journal articles and books published over the last ten years were conducted to highlight research gaps in water resource sustainability. The conclusion presents a way forward for SIDS to cope with the consequences of climate change on their vital water resources. The findings from this paper can inform regional polices, strategies and plan and direct research to critical areas where information is needed to support evidenced-based decision making. The review is useful for academics, policymakers and practitioners.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139601098","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 : 2024-01-18DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000218
D. McMartin, A. Sammel, Lisa M. Watson
{"title":"Shifting formal education toward hydrosocial and hydrorelational learning","authors":"D. McMartin, A. Sammel, Lisa M. Watson","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000218","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"109 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139614397","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 : 2024-01-17DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000214
Hana Royal, Andrea ‘t Mannetje, Simon Hales, Jeroen Douwes, Max Berry, Tim Chambers
There is emerging evidence of an association between nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Few studies have discussed the evidence in the context of plausible biological mechanisms. We performed a narrative review of the current evidence investigating associations between nitrate in drinking water and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with a focus on congenital anomalies (CA) and preterm birth (PTB). We also reviewed evidence and discuss several biological mechanisms that may explain the observed associations. We reviewed cohort and case-control epidemiological studies assessing associations between maternal nitrate exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes published until January 2023. Three plausible mechanisms may explain how maternal exposure to nitrate may impact pregnancy outcomes, which include the formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), thyroid dysfunction and oxidative stress. For CA, seven studies were included (two cohort and five case-control studies). The strongest associations observed in epidemiological studies were for neural tube defects. Inconsistent positive and negative associations were observed for anomalies of the limb, eye, ear, face and neck. Of the four PTB studies (all cohort studies), three of the largest cohort studies observed associations between PTB with nitrate levels >5 mg/L while one small cohort study did not. Emerging epidemiological evidence has observed a potential increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with elevated maternal nitrate exposure in drinking water. There are also plausible biological mechanisms to support this association. However, the current evidence lacks homogeneity and additional longitudinal evidence with robust exposure asssessments is required. Given the increasing concentrations of nitrate contamination in drinking water in many countries, and the adverse effects observed at concentrations below the current regulatory standard, a further precautionary approach should be adopted until futher evidence emerges.
{"title":"Nitrate in drinking water and pregnancy outcomes: A narrative review of epidemiological evidence and proposed biological mechanisms","authors":"Hana Royal, Andrea ‘t Mannetje, Simon Hales, Jeroen Douwes, Max Berry, Tim Chambers","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000214","url":null,"abstract":"There is emerging evidence of an association between nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Few studies have discussed the evidence in the context of plausible biological mechanisms. We performed a narrative review of the current evidence investigating associations between nitrate in drinking water and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with a focus on congenital anomalies (CA) and preterm birth (PTB). We also reviewed evidence and discuss several biological mechanisms that may explain the observed associations. We reviewed cohort and case-control epidemiological studies assessing associations between maternal nitrate exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes published until January 2023. Three plausible mechanisms may explain how maternal exposure to nitrate may impact pregnancy outcomes, which include the formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), thyroid dysfunction and oxidative stress. For CA, seven studies were included (two cohort and five case-control studies). The strongest associations observed in epidemiological studies were for neural tube defects. Inconsistent positive and negative associations were observed for anomalies of the limb, eye, ear, face and neck. Of the four PTB studies (all cohort studies), three of the largest cohort studies observed associations between PTB with nitrate levels >5 mg/L while one small cohort study did not. Emerging epidemiological evidence has observed a potential increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with elevated maternal nitrate exposure in drinking water. There are also plausible biological mechanisms to support this association. However, the current evidence lacks homogeneity and additional longitudinal evidence with robust exposure asssessments is required. Given the increasing concentrations of nitrate contamination in drinking water in many countries, and the adverse effects observed at concentrations below the current regulatory standard, a further precautionary approach should be adopted until futher evidence emerges.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":" 743","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139617439","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 : 2024-01-11DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000194
Taylor R. Alvarado, Robert E. Austin, Phillip J. Bradley, Lauren A. Eaves, Rebecca C. Fry, Andrew George, Kathleen M. Gray, Jason A. Osborne, Miroslav Stýblo, David S. Vinson, Owen W. Duckworth
More than 200 million people worldwide, including 11 million in the US, are estimated to consume water containing arsenic (As) concentrations that exceed World Health Organization and US EPA standards. In most cases, the As found in drinking water wells results from interactions between groundwater and geologic materials (geogenic contamination). To that end, we used the NCWELL database, which contains chemical information for 117,960 private drinking wells across North Carolina, to determine the spatial distribution of wells containing As contaminated water within geologic units. Specific geologic units had large percentages (up to 1 in 3) of wells with water exceeding the EPA As maximum contaminant level (MCL, 10 μg/L), both revealing significant variation within areas that have been previously associated with As contamination and identifying as yet unidentified problematic geologic units. For the 19 geologic units that have >5% of wells that contain water with As concentrations in exceedance of 10 μg/L, 12 (63%) are lithogenically related to the Albemarle arc, remnants of an ancient volcanic island, indicating the importance of volcanogenic materials, as well as recycled (eroded and deposited) and metamorphosed volcanogenic material. Within geologic units, wells that have As concentrations exceeding 10 μg/L tended to have pH values greater than wells with As concentrations less than 10 μg/L, emphasizing the importance of the extent of interaction between groundwater and geologic materials. Using census information with the geologic-based exceedance percentages revealed the importance of regional geology on estimates of population at risk compared to estimates based on county boundaries. Results illustrate that relating As contamination to geologic units not only helps explain sources of geogenic contamination but sharpens the identification of communities at risk for exposure and further illuminates problematic areas through geologic interpretation.
{"title":"Geologic predictors of drinking water well contamination in North Carolina","authors":"Taylor R. Alvarado, Robert E. Austin, Phillip J. Bradley, Lauren A. Eaves, Rebecca C. Fry, Andrew George, Kathleen M. Gray, Jason A. Osborne, Miroslav Stýblo, David S. Vinson, Owen W. Duckworth","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000194","url":null,"abstract":"More than 200 million people worldwide, including 11 million in the US, are estimated to consume water containing arsenic (As) concentrations that exceed World Health Organization and US EPA standards. In most cases, the As found in drinking water wells results from interactions between groundwater and geologic materials (geogenic contamination). To that end, we used the NCWELL database, which contains chemical information for 117,960 private drinking wells across North Carolina, to determine the spatial distribution of wells containing As contaminated water within geologic units. Specific geologic units had large percentages (up to 1 in 3) of wells with water exceeding the EPA As maximum contaminant level (MCL, 10 μg/L), both revealing significant variation within areas that have been previously associated with As contamination and identifying as yet unidentified problematic geologic units. For the 19 geologic units that have >5% of wells that contain water with As concentrations in exceedance of 10 μg/L, 12 (63%) are lithogenically related to the Albemarle arc, remnants of an ancient volcanic island, indicating the importance of volcanogenic materials, as well as recycled (eroded and deposited) and metamorphosed volcanogenic material. Within geologic units, wells that have As concentrations exceeding 10 μg/L tended to have pH values greater than wells with As concentrations less than 10 μg/L, emphasizing the importance of the extent of interaction between groundwater and geologic materials. Using census information with the geologic-based exceedance percentages revealed the importance of regional geology on estimates of population at risk compared to estimates based on county boundaries. Results illustrate that relating As contamination to geologic units not only helps explain sources of geogenic contamination but sharpens the identification of communities at risk for exposure and further illuminates problematic areas through geologic interpretation.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139533919","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 : 2024-01-09DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000164
Nacer Farajzadeh, Nima Sadeghzadeh, Nastaran Jokar
Water is one of the essential matters that keeps living species alive; yet, the lifespan of pipes has two direct impacts on wasting water in very great amounts: pipe leakages and pipe bursts. Consequently, the proper detection of aged pipes in the water distribution networks has always been an issue in overcoming the problem. This makes water pipe monitoring an important duty of municipalities. Traditionally, leakages and bursts were only detected visually or through reports in local areas, leading municipalities to change the old pipes. Although this helps to fix the issue, a more desired way is to perhaps let officials know about the possibilities of such problems in advance by predicting which pipes are aged, so they can prevent the wastage. Therefore, to automate the detection process, in this study, we take the initial steps to predict the pipes needing repair in a particular area using machine learning methods. We first obtain a private dataset provided by the municipality of Saveh, Iran which outlines pipes that were damaged previously. We then train three machine learning algorithms to predict whether a set of pipes in an area is prone to damage. To achieve this, One-Class (OC) Classification methods such as OC-SVM, Isolation Forest, and Elliptic Envelope are used and they achieved the highest accuracy of 0.909. This study is of value since it requires zero additional devices (i.e., sensors).
{"title":"Water distribution pipe lifespans: Predicting when to repair the pipes in municipal water distribution networks using machine learning techniques","authors":"Nacer Farajzadeh, Nima Sadeghzadeh, Nastaran Jokar","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000164","url":null,"abstract":"Water is one of the essential matters that keeps living species alive; yet, the lifespan of pipes has two direct impacts on wasting water in very great amounts: pipe leakages and pipe bursts. Consequently, the proper detection of aged pipes in the water distribution networks has always been an issue in overcoming the problem. This makes water pipe monitoring an important duty of municipalities. Traditionally, leakages and bursts were only detected visually or through reports in local areas, leading municipalities to change the old pipes. Although this helps to fix the issue, a more desired way is to perhaps let officials know about the possibilities of such problems in advance by predicting which pipes are aged, so they can prevent the wastage. Therefore, to automate the detection process, in this study, we take the initial steps to predict the pipes needing repair in a particular area using machine learning methods. We first obtain a private dataset provided by the municipality of Saveh, Iran which outlines pipes that were damaged previously. We then train three machine learning algorithms to predict whether a set of pipes in an area is prone to damage. To achieve this, One-Class (OC) Classification methods such as OC-SVM, Isolation Forest, and Elliptic Envelope are used and they achieved the highest accuracy of 0.909. This study is of value since it requires zero additional devices (i.e., sensors).","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"40 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139442560","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 : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000170
S. Awatere, Garth Harmsworth, Nikki Harcourt, Y. Taura, Lara Taylor, Mahuru Wilcox, J. Hyslop
Large-scale transformation and modification of landscapes have occurred across most catchments in Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ) in the past 200-years (mainly mid-1800s to mid- 1900s). This has been mainly through large-scale removal of indigenous forest and draining of wetlands to a landscape dominated by urban settlement and highly modified landscapes. The expansive shift to pastoral farming and urban settlement, under a colonial settlement vision has increasingly led to detrimental cumulative impacts on ecological health. Environmental decline has been tightly linked to significant adverse impacts on Māori (the Indigenous people of A-NZ) wellbeing. For Māori, this has been out of balance and step with an indigenous-based vision of A-NZ. To understand how a Māori worldview can help drive transformation in the health of our catchments and their communities, we argue that an Ao Māori (Māori worldview) framing for catchment management is necessary with reference to three catchment case studies (Kaipara, Waikato, and Waiapu). These case studies were chosen because they provide tangible examples of resurgence in the use and understanding of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) next to co-governance, co-management, and decision-making. In the Kaipara, the collaborative governance model ensured that all parties’ views were understood and factored into decision making and this has led to growing social equity and more sustainable relationships with the whenua. Similarly, in the Waikato, co-governance of the waterways has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. Knowledge sharing and engagement has directly driven positive environmental outcomes. So too for the Waiapu, where increased hapū/iwi capability and capacity has increased social cohesion and implementation of targeted actions to mitigate climate change impacts. We explore how by adopting a holistic approach to environmental stewardship, and having intimate knowledge at place, Māori thinking has the potential to rejuvenate environmental management, emphasising the necessity of partnership-based approaches.
{"title":"Whakamana te tangata – ka whai oranga te taiao: Indigenous led approaches for catchment health in Aotearoa-New Zealand","authors":"S. Awatere, Garth Harmsworth, Nikki Harcourt, Y. Taura, Lara Taylor, Mahuru Wilcox, J. Hyslop","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000170","url":null,"abstract":"Large-scale transformation and modification of landscapes have occurred across most catchments in Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ) in the past 200-years (mainly mid-1800s to mid- 1900s). This has been mainly through large-scale removal of indigenous forest and draining of wetlands to a landscape dominated by urban settlement and highly modified landscapes. The expansive shift to pastoral farming and urban settlement, under a colonial settlement vision has increasingly led to detrimental cumulative impacts on ecological health. Environmental decline has been tightly linked to significant adverse impacts on Māori (the Indigenous people of A-NZ) wellbeing. For Māori, this has been out of balance and step with an indigenous-based vision of A-NZ. To understand how a Māori worldview can help drive transformation in the health of our catchments and their communities, we argue that an Ao Māori (Māori worldview) framing for catchment management is necessary with reference to three catchment case studies (Kaipara, Waikato, and Waiapu). These case studies were chosen because they provide tangible examples of resurgence in the use and understanding of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) next to co-governance, co-management, and decision-making. In the Kaipara, the collaborative governance model ensured that all parties’ views were understood and factored into decision making and this has led to growing social equity and more sustainable relationships with the whenua. Similarly, in the Waikato, co-governance of the waterways has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. Knowledge sharing and engagement has directly driven positive environmental outcomes. So too for the Waiapu, where increased hapū/iwi capability and capacity has increased social cohesion and implementation of targeted actions to mitigate climate change impacts. We explore how by adopting a holistic approach to environmental stewardship, and having intimate knowledge at place, Māori thinking has the potential to rejuvenate environmental management, emphasising the necessity of partnership-based approaches.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"21 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139145946","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 : 2023-12-21DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000190
A. R. El-Khattabi, Kyra Gmoser‐Daskalakis, Gregory Pierce
Rising water bills across the U.S. underscore the need to understand the factors that contribute to disparities in local system bills. In this paper, we examine residential water bill amounts from 1,720 systems in four states in different regions of the U.S. (Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Wisconsin) to (1) examine how local system bills at a constant consumption level (4,000 gallons per month or 15.14m3) for drinking water vary within and across states, as well as within combined metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), and (2) study the relationship between local system bills and system-level characteristics. We find a high degree of similarity in median bill amounts between states but substantial variation within them at the MSA and local system scale. Our multivariate analysis suggests that municipally-owned systems are more likely to have lower water bills relative to for-profit systems, while factors such as purchasing water and having neighboring systems with high bills significantly correlate with higher water bills. Though we find that water systems with high levels of poverty tend to have higher water bills, our results also suggest that local systems that serve populations with higher levels of income inequality and higher proportions of non-White population tend to have lower water bills. These findings point to future research and data needs to better inform federal, state and local water affordability policy and underline the importance of examining and addressing water affordability at local scales.
{"title":"Keep your head above water: Explaining disparities in local drinking water bills","authors":"A. R. El-Khattabi, Kyra Gmoser‐Daskalakis, Gregory Pierce","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000190","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000190","url":null,"abstract":"Rising water bills across the U.S. underscore the need to understand the factors that contribute to disparities in local system bills. In this paper, we examine residential water bill amounts from 1,720 systems in four states in different regions of the U.S. (Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Wisconsin) to (1) examine how local system bills at a constant consumption level (4,000 gallons per month or 15.14m3) for drinking water vary within and across states, as well as within combined metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), and (2) study the relationship between local system bills and system-level characteristics. We find a high degree of similarity in median bill amounts between states but substantial variation within them at the MSA and local system scale. Our multivariate analysis suggests that municipally-owned systems are more likely to have lower water bills relative to for-profit systems, while factors such as purchasing water and having neighboring systems with high bills significantly correlate with higher water bills. Though we find that water systems with high levels of poverty tend to have higher water bills, our results also suggest that local systems that serve populations with higher levels of income inequality and higher proportions of non-White population tend to have lower water bills. These findings point to future research and data needs to better inform federal, state and local water affordability policy and underline the importance of examining and addressing water affordability at local scales.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"32 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138949030","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 : 2023-12-20DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000086
Ivy Chumo, B. Mberu, Cynthia Wainaina, Wanjiru Murigi, Leunita A. Sumba, Caroline W. Kabaria
Poorly managed sanitation is degrading, unhealthy and far too dominant among the urban poor. The conventional solution to poorly managed onsite sanitation and/or open defecation is for governments to provide adequate sanitation at subsidized prices. Few governments in low and middle income countries can subsidize access to sanitation facilities for people living and working in informal settlements. This leaves the urban poor in informal settlements to face challenges in accessing safely managed sanitation, with some residents and manual pit emptiers adopting social capital approaches. We sought to identify sanitation challenges along the value chain and social capital approaches to addressing the challenges. We used qualitative approaches. Our target population were manual pit emptiers and community members. We analysed data using conventional content analysis methodology. We grouped sanitation challenges into those that are outside individual households and those that are at the individual household. Challenges outside the household could not be controlled at the individual level, and included legislative, physical, and social challenges, while challenges at the individual household could be controlled at individual level, and included health, financial and technical challenges. As a result of these challenges, both the manual emptiers and community members adopted social capital approaches, which included the use of reciprocity and trust, networks and information channels and norms to counter the challenges. Sanitation challenges along the sanitation value chain should persuade policymakers and practitioners that sanitation extends beyond the four walls of a sanitation containment facility, to include emptying, transportation, treatment and disposal. Many of the challenges could be attributed to governance outside the sanitation sector. Hence long-term improvement of sanitation conditions in informal settlements ought to be supported by broader policies and strategies like social capital that begins by thinking outside “the sanitation box”.
{"title":"Sanitation services for the urban poor: A social capital approach to sanitation challenges in informal settlements","authors":"Ivy Chumo, B. Mberu, Cynthia Wainaina, Wanjiru Murigi, Leunita A. Sumba, Caroline W. Kabaria","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000086","url":null,"abstract":"Poorly managed sanitation is degrading, unhealthy and far too dominant among the urban poor. The conventional solution to poorly managed onsite sanitation and/or open defecation is for governments to provide adequate sanitation at subsidized prices. Few governments in low and middle income countries can subsidize access to sanitation facilities for people living and working in informal settlements. This leaves the urban poor in informal settlements to face challenges in accessing safely managed sanitation, with some residents and manual pit emptiers adopting social capital approaches. We sought to identify sanitation challenges along the value chain and social capital approaches to addressing the challenges. We used qualitative approaches. Our target population were manual pit emptiers and community members. We analysed data using conventional content analysis methodology. We grouped sanitation challenges into those that are outside individual households and those that are at the individual household. Challenges outside the household could not be controlled at the individual level, and included legislative, physical, and social challenges, while challenges at the individual household could be controlled at individual level, and included health, financial and technical challenges. As a result of these challenges, both the manual emptiers and community members adopted social capital approaches, which included the use of reciprocity and trust, networks and information channels and norms to counter the challenges. Sanitation challenges along the sanitation value chain should persuade policymakers and practitioners that sanitation extends beyond the four walls of a sanitation containment facility, to include emptying, transportation, treatment and disposal. Many of the challenges could be attributed to governance outside the sanitation sector. Hence long-term improvement of sanitation conditions in informal settlements ought to be supported by broader policies and strategies like social capital that begins by thinking outside “the sanitation box”.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"7 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139169643","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 : 2023-12-19DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000212
{"title":"Correction: Convergence of mechanistic modeling and artificial intelligence in hydrologic science and engineering","authors":"","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000212","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":" 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138961749","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 : 2023-12-08DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000160
Elena Gordillo Fuertes
Water security is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Understanding context-specific challenges and opportunities around this issue is key to improving water systems globally. This paper explores the current state of urban water security in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city. Ulaanbaatar is home to more than 40% of the country’s population and 60% of its national GDP. The city is located in the Tuul River basin and relies almost entirely on groundwater aquifers of the Tuul River for its supply of clean drinking water. In recent years, socio-economic stressors resulting from rapid urbanisation and environmental pressures have intensified the levels of degradation of the Tuul River and intensified the risks of water insecurity for the population of Ulaanbaatar. First, this paper draws from an extensive literature review and document analysis to provide an overview of the current state of urban water security in Ulaanbaatar. Secondly, the discussion is substantiated with information from key informant interviews which aim to explain the ongoing challenges for water security in Ulaanbaatar and suggest paths for improvement. This study finds that the main challenges for water security in Ulaanbaatar are data unavailability, limited human and financial resources across public water sector agencies, exacerbating flood risk and ongoing water quality disparities between the central city area and peri-urban ger districts.
{"title":"Understanding contemporary challenges for water security in Ulaanbaatar, a semi-arid region in Mongolia","authors":"Elena Gordillo Fuertes","doi":"10.1371/journal.pwat.0000160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000160","url":null,"abstract":"Water security is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Understanding context-specific challenges and opportunities around this issue is key to improving water systems globally. This paper explores the current state of urban water security in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city. Ulaanbaatar is home to more than 40% of the country’s population and 60% of its national GDP. The city is located in the Tuul River basin and relies almost entirely on groundwater aquifers of the Tuul River for its supply of clean drinking water. In recent years, socio-economic stressors resulting from rapid urbanisation and environmental pressures have intensified the levels of degradation of the Tuul River and intensified the risks of water insecurity for the population of Ulaanbaatar. First, this paper draws from an extensive literature review and document analysis to provide an overview of the current state of urban water security in Ulaanbaatar. Secondly, the discussion is substantiated with information from key informant interviews which aim to explain the ongoing challenges for water security in Ulaanbaatar and suggest paths for improvement. This study finds that the main challenges for water security in Ulaanbaatar are data unavailability, limited human and financial resources across public water sector agencies, exacerbating flood risk and ongoing water quality disparities between the central city area and peri-urban ger districts.","PeriodicalId":93672,"journal":{"name":"PLOS water","volume":"45 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138588587","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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