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Health Impacts of Water and Sanitation Insecurity in US Colonias: A Scoping Literature Review

Description

U.S. border colonias, otherwise known as Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities, are rural settlements along the U.S. Mexico border with substandard housing conditions. Colonia residents often face inadequate access to necessities such as appropriate shelter, septic and sewer systems, and potable water. Water insecurity in colonias poses a particularly difficult challenge for residents who require clean water not only for consumption, but also household use in sanitation and hygienic practices. As of 2015, an estimated 30% of over five million US colonia residents lack access to clean drinking water, resulting in health complications and unsanitary living conditions. Preliminary health data collected indicates that due to water insecurity, colonia residents are more likely to contract gastrointestinal disease, be exposed to carcinogenic compounds from contaminated water, and experience psychosocial distress. Yet more comprehensive research needs to be conducted to understand the full breadth of the public health issue. A scoping review on water insecurity in colonias has not been completed before and could be beneficial in informing policymakers and other stakeholders on the severity of the situation while advising possible solutions.

ContributorsZheng, Madeleine (Author) / Wutich, Amber (Thesis director) / Brewis, Alexandra (Committee member) / Kavouras, Stavros (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)

Created2021-12

The Health Impacts of Water Insecurity in U.S. Colonias

Description

Introduction: Often it is presumed that in high-income countries, like the United States, water insecurity is not an issue. Yet, more than 2 million individuals in the United States are affected by water insecurity. Experiencing the effects of water insecurity are informal settlements and impoverished communities termed as “colonias”, characterized by the lack of possessing basic infrastructures and services, including water systems and wastewater disposal amongst many. Purpose: To critically analyze how water insecurity manifests in the colonias and the impacts it has on the health and well-being of the community members. Methods: An extensive systematic literature review was conducted in the effort to bring a meaningful framework of existing challenges and potential resolutions and theorize water insecurity in colonias. Results: The effects of water insecurity due to water scarcity and water contamination in the colonias led to health complications, unsanitary living conditions and mental distress for residents. The causes of water insecurity in the colonias were because of political exclusion, municipal underbounding and the failure to monitor water quality. Conclusion: The dire consequences of household water insecurity to an individual, no less an entire population, are detrimental to health and well-being. Despite this acknowledgement of a critical and basic human necessity, literature reveals a robust water governance infrastructure is much needed for the people in colonias. For meaningful progress and developments to be made in addressing water insecurity for the people of colonias, this review was approached through a transdisciplinary lens - one that achieves convergence.

ContributorsPatwoary, Nargish (Author) / Wutich, Amber (Thesis advisor) / Sabo, John (Thesis advisor) / Roque, Anais (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2021

Only the People Can Save the People: Community Resilience and Water Insecurity Responses in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

Description

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is considered as one of the costliest in U.S. history. In the case of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, 3.2 million people were without energy, approximately a third of the residents were without municipal water services, houses and larger infrastructures were severely damaged among other challenges. While both the local and federal government have been highlighted to be inefficient to meet resident’s needs, the people took the streets to assist family, neighbors as well as to collaborate with non-profits and faith-based groups. These organizational efforts allowed the supply of water, food, clothes, and emotional support in areas with the most needs. In light of this knowledge, this dissertation focuses on two main areas: (1) communities’ capacities to absorb and adapt in the wake of a disaster (2) how households addressed large-scale water infrastructure failure. I investigate resilience in the communities of Corcovada, Anasco and Mariana, Humacao, and water insecurity in the municipalities of Anasco, Rincon, and Mayaguez. I do this through a mixed-methods approach including semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and an open-ended structured protocol with egocentric network elicitation. I engage with the literature on social capital, water sharing, social networks in disaster context, autogestion (self-management) and informality to examine the dynamics occurring in response and recovery efforts. The three sub-study mixed-method dissertation examines: 1) how social capital in low-income communities can support resilience, 2) the role of social networks and water sharing to cope with water insecurity in the wake of Hurricane Maria, 3) autogestion (self-management) at the household and community level and how does it fit with both the larger political economic dynamics in the archipelago as well as the post-disaster context. The results have theoretical and practical implications for future hurricane planning in Puerto Rico and for other sites at high disaster risk around the world.

ContributorsRoque, Anais Delilah (Author) / Wutich, Amber (Thesis advisor) / Jepson, Wendy (Thesis advisor) / Brewis, Alexandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2021