A new study that reveals the extent of household water borrowing as a way of alleviating water insecurity has been published in the journal Global Environmental Change.
The article is co-authored by International Water Security Network Director Chad Staddon, along with colleagues from the Household Water InSecurity Experiences (HWISE) – Research Coordination Network (RCN).
The study uses data from the HWISE survey, conducted at 21 locations in 19 low- and middle-income countries. It found that “household-to-household water borrowing was practiced in all 21 sites, with 44.7% (11.4–85.4%) of households borrowing water at least once the previous month”.
The authors state: “Due to how prevalent water borrowing is, its implications for social dynamics, resource allocation, and health and well-being are likely vast but severely under-recognized”.
For more details see: Water borrowing is consistently practiced globally and is associated with water-related system failures across diverse environments by Asher Y. Rosinger, Alexandra Brewis, Amber Wutich, Wendy Jepson, Chad Staddon, Justin Stoler & Sera L. Young.