The assessment of water stress in Minqin County in China with the Water Poverty Index

Water and poverty interface is strongly interconnected and a robust assessment of water stress is crucial to identify needy areas and develop appropriate intervention for poverty reduction. Water Poverty Index (WPI) provides an interdisciplinary tool to assess water stress by linking physical estimates of water availability with socio-economic drivers of poverty. This study presents an application of Water Poverty Index (WPI) to estimate and compare the level of water stress in 27 districts of Koshi River Basin in Nepal. Based on data availability, relevance to the study area and review of literatures, 12 indicators were selected under five key components outlined by WPI. The study result shows medium-low degree (WPI = 54.4) of water poverty in the Koshi River Basin in Nepal. The WPI score varies widely (from 49.75 to 69.29) along the districts and it was found that districts in Tarai regions and urban areas were more water stressed compared to the districts in mid-hill and high-hill regions. Priorities for intervention must be given to the districts in Tarai regions and urban areas with a low WPI score, explicitly on the sector regarding access to water and sanitation to address water poverty in the basin.

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Spatial analysis of water stress and application of water poverty index in the Mahakali River Basin, Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal

Nepalese Journal of Zoology ◽

10.3126/njz.v4i2.33887 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 85-94

Author(s):

Lalit Pathak ◽

Ramesh Raj Pant ◽

Udhab Raj Khadka ◽

Jharana Nepal ◽

Sudip Poudel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Water Resources ◽

River Basin ◽

Resource Availability ◽

Water Sources ◽

Upstream Region ◽

Poverty Index ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Socioeconomic Drivers ◽

Water Poverty Index

Water Poverty Index (WPI) is an effective tool to assess water stress by linking physical approximations of water availability with socioeconomic drivers of poverty at household and community levels. It also helps in determining the priority needs for interventions and makes the better use of water resources without compromising the environmental integrity at the policy level. This study presents a comparative analysis of WPI to assess the water stress in two local units i.e., Mahakali Municipality-4 (Upstream) and Bhimdatt Municipality-13 (Downstream) of the Darchula and Kanchanpur districts, respectively along the Mahakali River Basin (MRB), Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal. Five components, i.e., resource availability, use of resources, capacity to utilize water sources, accessibility to water sources, and environment were applied to appraisal the water poverty. Under these components, 28 indicators were selected to visualize the water poverty condition. The information for acquiring these indicators was collected by making the field visit, semi-structured questionnaire survey, and secondary information from relevant sources. The results showed that the downstream segment has a higher WPI value (65.43) in comparison to the upstream segment (52.60) of the MRB, indicating relatively water-advantaged and stressed situations in down- and up-streams, respectively. Interestingly, despite having higher resource availability, the upstream region exhibited more stressed situations reflecting spatial heterogeneity in terms of capacity, environmental conditions, and infrastructure development to use the available water resources. Thus, in order to reduce the water stress conditions, priorities for intervention must be given to the water use capacity, especially in the upstream segment of the MRB. This study could be useful for academia and policymakers for the sustainable use of water resources in the MRB, Susurpaschim Province, Nepal.

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Spatial Variation in Seasonal Water Poverty Index for Laos: An Application of Geographically Weighted Principal Component Analysis

Social Indicators Research ◽

10.1007/s11205-017-1819-6 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 140 (3) ◽

pp. 1131-1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Marko Kallio ◽

Joseph H. A. Guillaume ◽

Matti Kummu ◽

Kirsi Virrantaus

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Spatial Variation ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Poverty Index ◽

Weighted Principal Component ◽

Water Poverty Index

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Development and application of a multi-scalar, participant-driven water poverty index in post-tsunami India

International Journal of Water Resources Development ◽

10.1080/07900627.2016.1253543 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 955-975 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Luke Juran ◽

Morgan C. MacDonald ◽

Nandita B. Basu ◽

Shane Hubbard ◽

Raj Rajagopal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Poverty Index ◽

Water Poverty Index

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Application of a revised Water Poverty Index to target the water poor

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2011.347 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. 1099-1110 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

R. Giné Garriga ◽

A. Pérez Foguet

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Policy Making ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Point Of View ◽

Poverty Index ◽

Index Construction ◽

Policy Tool ◽

Water Poverty Index ◽

Decision Making Processes

The Water Poverty Index (WPI) has been recognized as a useful tool in policy analysis. The index integrates various physical, social and environmental aspects to enable more holistic assessment of water resources. However, soundness of this tool relies on two complementary aspects: (i) inadequate techniques employed in index construction would produce unreliable results, and (ii) poor dissemination of final outcome would reduce applicability of the index to influence policy-making. From a methodological point of view, a revised alternative to calculate the index was developed in a previous study. This paper is therefore concerned not with the method employed in index construction, but with how the composite can be applied to support decision-making processes. In particular, the paper examines different approaches to exploit the index as a policy tool. A number of alternatives to disseminate achieved results are presented. The implications of applying the composite at different spatial scales are highlighted. Turkana District, in Kenya has been selected as initial case study to test the applicability and validity of the index. The paper concludes that the WPI approach provides a relevant tool for guiding appropriate action and policy-making towards more equitable allocation of water resources.

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A statistical and spatial analysis of water poverty using a modified Water Poverty Index

International Journal of Water Resources Development ◽

10.1080/07900627.2020.1768829 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Breeanna C. Prince ◽

Luke Juran ◽

Venkataramana Sridhar ◽

Anamaria Bukvic ◽

Morgan C. MacDonald

Keyword(s):

Spatial Analysis ◽

Poverty Index ◽

Water Poverty Index

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Multidimensional analysis of the water-poverty nexus using a modified Water Poverty Index: a case study from Jordan

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2016.147 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 826-843 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hatem Jemmali ◽

Lina Abu-Ghunmi

Keyword(s):

Decision Makers ◽

Multidimensional Analysis ◽

Rapid Decline ◽

Poverty Index ◽

Policy Interventions ◽

Water Poverty Index ◽

Management Plans ◽

Water Issues ◽

Theoretical Foundations

Water as a strategic natural resource is of fundamental importance for human development, prosperity, and poverty alleviation. Over the last three decades, Jordan's water resources have been severely degraded, threatening the livelihoods of countless people, particularly in rural and poor communities. The inadequate provision of water-related facilities has contributed to the rapid decline in quantity and degradation of quality in these communities. This study depicts the theoretical foundations and development of a water-focused and thematic indicator of poverty, which allow a comprehensive understanding of the crosscutting nature of water issues and impacts. It is with this in mind that a modified Water Poverty Index (mWPI) is developed herein to exemplify the utilization of the index, and to test its applicability and validity at the Jordanian governorate's level. The results show that water poverty fluctuates broadly between northern and southern regions suggesting a need for location-specific management plans and more targeted policy interventions. Overall, the mWPI, as a holistic tool, can assist decision-makers and other stakeholders in achieving sustainability and can be used to communicate the progress of sustainability to the wider community.

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Improved Method to Calculate a Water Poverty Index at Local Scale

Journal of Environmental Engineering ◽

10.1061/(asce)ee.1943-7870.0000255 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 136 (11) ◽

pp. 1287-1298 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Ricard Giné Garriga ◽

Agustí Pérez Foguet

Keyword(s):

Local Scale ◽

Poverty Index ◽

Improved Method ◽

Water Poverty Index

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