Dynamics of Household Water Insecurity and Poverty – Drivers and Implications: Experiences from Dhaka Urban Riparian Areas

Abstract

Population, economy, and environment are very closely related to each other. Economic activity generally involves the usages of factors of production which are mostly supplied by households, firms, and the environment. Socially unjust usages of environmental resources may cause environmental hazards which can affect health of the populations forcing them to bear unwarranted expenses. Urban areas are the hub of industrialization which has accelerated economic growth and allow increased contribution of urban people to GDP, national savings, employment, and poverty alleviation. In Bangladesh, greater Dhaka is surrounded by the rivers like Buriganga, Balu, Sitalakhya, Dhaleshwari, and Turag. Review of existing literture suggests that health of those rivers is deteriorating day by day, but studies are scanty in showing the relationship between water insecurity and the welfare of the communities in riparian areas. Since many people are dependent on water bodies in urban areas for their livelihoods, and the quality of river water affects the health and productivity of the working people of neighboring communities, this study aimed to understand the state of water insecurity in Dhaka urban riparian areas and the possible effects of such water insecurity on health, productivity, and the overall welfare. We followed a quantitative approach and data was collected through household survey. A total of 1826 households from the twelve survey points of Turag riparian areas were drawn using systematic random sampling. The research followed the ethical guidelines set by the Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) of the University of Oxford. The study showed that most of the households collected their water from motorized tube-well, deep tube-well, and piped water for drinking purposes within 10 minutes. Only 2.47 percent of households in the survey areas used open-source water for drinking purposes. Members of 28 percent of the households used open-source water for other purposes like bathing, washing utensils, cleaning clothes, and livelihood. It was found that the members of the poorest households had more contact with open-source water and the contact intensified when the source of improved-water was shared by a group of people. The binary regression results revealed that the higher distance of the household from the improved-water source enforced the households to use open-source water for various purposes. Similar effect was observed for a high price of improved-water, whereas education and experiences reduced the odds of using open-source water. The exposure to open-source water created health burdens to the households. Diseases like skin disease, gastric, ulcers, and dysentery were high among the users of open-source water and they had to spend additional Tk. 321 ($3.9) per month as treatment cost compared to non-users. Among the users of oper-source water, the sickness of the household members reduced their working days by around 4.48 days per month. Overall, the results revealed that the tendency to use open-source was higher among the disadvantaged and marginalized people, and this increased illness, reduced productivity, increased treatment expenditure, and raised poverty significantly. Hence, it was recommended that sufficient improved-water should be made available at a minimum distance, and at a minimum cost.