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Cassivi A, Carabin A, Dorea C, Rodriguez MJ, Guilherme S. Domestic access to water in a decentralized truck-to-cistern system: a case study in the Northern Village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik (Canada). JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2024; 22:797-810. [PMID: 38822460 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2024.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Municipal water supply through truck-to-cistern systems is common in northern Canada. Household satisfaction and concerns about water services likely impact user preferences and practices. This case study explores household perspectives and challenges with regard to domestic access to water in a decentralized truck-to-cistern system. A case study was conducted in the Northern Village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik (Quebec, Canada). A paper-based questionnaire was completed by 65 households (one quarter of the population). Many households (37%) reported not drinking tap water from the truck-to-cistern system. Chlorine taste was a frequently reported concern, with those households being significantly less likely to drink water directly from the tap (p = 0.002). Similarly, households that reported a water shortage in the previous week (i.e., no water from the tap at least once) (33%) were more likely to express dissatisfaction with delivered water quantity (rs = 0.395, p = 0.004). Interestingly, 77% of households preferred using alternative drinking water sources for drinking purposes, such as public tap at the water treatment plant, natural sources or bottled water. The study underscores the importance of considering household perspectives to mitigate the risks associated with service disruptions and the use of alternative sources for drinking purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Cassivi
- Chaire de recherche CRSNG en eau potable, École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada E-mail:
| | - Anne Carabin
- Department of Civil Engineering, Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Caetano Dorea
- Department of Civil Engineering, Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Manuel J Rodriguez
- Chaire de recherche CRSNG en eau potable, École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Guilherme
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Huynh L, Anjum S, Lieu T, Horse ML, Martin-Hill D, Wekerle C. Examining the connection between water concerns, water anxiety, and resilience among Indigenous persons: A systematic scoping review. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 148:106184. [PMID: 37055333 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Despite Canada's and the United States' acceptance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), achieving equitable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)-related services among Indigenous peoples remain at issue for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Water anxiety is a mental health burden threatening resilience, given cultural stewardship imperatives for water well-being. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS Peer-reviewed literature documenting water anxiety/insecurity was explored in relation to resilience among Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska). METHODS A systematic scoping review was conducted using three databases (Medline, Sociological Abstracts and PsycINFO) and key words pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, Canada, U.S., and water. Two reviewers screened and extracted each article. RESULTS The search yielded six quantitative studies. Large diversity among Indigenous communities resulted in different water concerns tied to geographical locales, industry, and the health of water bodies. Environmental concerns, poor access to safe drinking water, and negative effects of water insecurity (water costs, food scarcity) was associated with water anxiety. Indigenous ecological knowledge, cultural continuity, water advocacy, and participatory community interventions was associated with resilience. CONCLUSION There is limited research exploring water anxiety and resilience among Indigenous communities. Particularly among women, water related health risks, concern for future generations, and cultural gender role expectations for water stewardship, contribute to water anxiety. An important next step is to recognize water anxiety as a mental health burden, and advance Indigenous-led research to not only optimally redress water inequities, but also the broader scope of its impact to ongoing trauma among Indigenous peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsey Huynh
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Sidra Anjum
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Toney Lieu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Dawn Martin-Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Indigenous Studies Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Wekerle
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa
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Cassivi A, Covey A, Rodriguez MJ, Guilherme S. Domestic water security in the Arctic: A scoping review. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 247:114060. [PMID: 36413873 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION More than 50 million people living in the Arctic nations remain without access to safely managed drinking water services. Remote northern communities, where large numbers of Indigenous peoples live, are disproportionally affected. Recent research has documented water and health-related problems among Indigenous communities, including poor water quality and insufficient quantities of water. OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review is to examine the extent of available water security evidence as well as identify research gaps and intervention priorities to improve access to domestic water in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the eight Arctic nations (Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the United States (Alaska)). METHODS An extensive literature review was conducted to retrieve relevant documentation. Arctic & Antarctic Regions, Compendex, Geobase, Georef, MEDLINE and Web of Science databases were searched to identify records for inclusion. The initial searches yielded a total of 1356 records. Two independent reviewers systematically screened identified records using selection criteria. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize evidence of included studies. RESULTS A total of 55 studies, mostly conducted in Canada and the United States, were included and classified by four predetermined major dimensions: 1) Water accessibility and availability; 2) Water quality assessment; 3) Water supply and health; 4) Preferences and risk perceptions. CONCLUSIONS This scoping review used a global approach to provide researchers and stakeholders with a summary of the evidence available regarding water security and domestic access in the Arctic. Culturally appropriate health-based interventions are necessary to ensure inclusive water services and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets for universal access to water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Cassivi
- Chaire de recherche en eau potable, École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 rue des Bibliothèques, Universitè Laval, Quèbec (QC), Canada.
| | - Anna Covey
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Colonel By Hall, 161 Louis Pasteur, University of Ottawa, Ottawa (ON), Canada
| | - Manuel J Rodriguez
- Chaire de recherche en eau potable, École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 rue des Bibliothèques, Universitè Laval, Quèbec (QC), Canada
| | - Stéphanie Guilherme
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Colonel By Hall, 161 Louis Pasteur, University of Ottawa, Ottawa (ON), Canada
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De Guzman K, Stone G, Yang AR, Schaffer KE, Lo S, Kojok R, Kirkpatrick CR, Del Pozo AG, Le TT, DePledge L, Frost EL, Kayser GL. Drinking water and the implications for gender equity and empowerment: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 247:114044. [PMID: 36395654 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Safe drinking water is a fundamental human right, yet more than 785 million people do not have access to it. The burden of water management disproportionately falls on women and young girls, and they suffer the health, psychosocial, political, educational, and economic effects. While water conditions and disease outcomes have been widely studied, few studies have summarized the research on drinking water and implications for gender equity and empowerment (GEE). METHODS A systematic review of primary literature published between 1980 and 2019 was conducted on drinking water exposures and management and the implications for GEE. Ten databases were utilized (EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, ProQuest, Campbell, the British Library for Development Studies, SSRN, 3ie International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, and clinicaltrials.gov). Drinking water studies with an all-female cohort or disaggregated findings according to gender were included. RESULTS A total of 1280 studies were included. GEE outcomes were summarized in five areas: health, psychosocial stress, political power and decision-making, social-educational conditions, and economic and time-use conditions. Water quality exposures and implications for women's health dominated the literature reviewed. Women experienced higher rates of bladder cancer when exposed to arsenic, trihalomethanes, and chlorine in drinking water and higher rates of breast cancer due to arsenic, trichloroethylene, and disinfection byproducts in drinking water, compared to men. Women that were exposed to arsenic experienced higher incidence rates of anemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to those that were not exposed. Water-related skin diseases were associated with increased levels of psychosocial stress and social ostracization among women. Women had fewer decision-making responsibilities, economic independence, and employment opportunities around water compared to men. CONCLUSION This systematic review confirms the interconnected nature of gender and WaSH outcomes. With growing attention directed towards gender equity and empowerment within WaSH, this analysis provides key insights to inform future research and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly De Guzman
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Gabriela Stone
- Department of Global Health, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Audrey R Yang
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Kristen E Schaffer
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Shelton Lo
- T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Rola Kojok
- Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, Public Health Program, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Colette R Kirkpatrick
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ada G Del Pozo
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Tina T Le
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | | | - Elizabeth L Frost
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Georgia L Kayser
- The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Venkataramanan V, Geere JAL, Thomae B, Stoler J, Hunter PR, Young SL. In pursuit of 'safe' water: the burden of personal injury from water fetching in 21 low-income and middle-income countries. BMJ Glob Health 2020; 5:bmjgh-2020-003328. [PMID: 33115862 PMCID: PMC7592242 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Water fetching for household needs can cause injury, but documentation of the burden of harm globally has been limited. We described the frequency, characteristics and correlates of water-fetching injuries in 24 sites in 21 low-income and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. METHODS In a survey of 6291 randomly selected households, respondents reported whether and how they had experienced water-fetching injuries. Responses were coded for injury type, mechanism, bodily location and physical context. We then identified correlates of injury using a multilevel, mixed-effects logistic regression model. RESULTS Thirteen per cent of respondents reported at least one water-fetching injury. Of 879 injuries, fractures and dislocations were the most commonly specified type (29.2%), and falls were the most commonly specified mechanism (76.4%). Where specified, 61.1% of injuries occurred to the lower limbs, and dangerous terrain (69.4%) was the most frequently reported context. Significant correlates included being female (aOR=1.50, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.96); rural (aOR=4.80, 95% CI 2.83 to 8.15) or periurban residence (aOR=2.75, 95% CI 1.64 to 4.60); higher household water insecurity scores (aOR=1.09, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.10) and reliance on surface water (aOR=1.97, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.22) or off-premise water sources that required queueing (aOR=1.72, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.49). CONCLUSION These data suggest that water-fetching injuries are an underappreciated and largely unmeasured public health challenge. We offer guidelines for comprehensive data collection on injuries to better capture the true burden of inadequate water access. Such data can guide the design of interventions to reduce injury risk and promote equitable water access solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Venkataramanan
- Center for Water Research and Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jo-Anne L Geere
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK,Water Security Research Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Benjamin Thomae
- Center for Water Research and Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Justin Stoler
- Department of Geography and Regional Studies and Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Paul R Hunter
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK,Water Security Research Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Sera L Young
- Center for Water Research and Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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Achore M, Bisung E, Kuusaana ED. Coping with water insecurity at the household level: A synthesis of qualitative evidence. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 230:113598. [PMID: 32862072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Water insecurity is a key public health and developmental challenge for many communities across the world. Using a meta-ethnographic synthesis, this study examines how households cope with water insecurity, as well as the socio-economic consequences and determinants of water insecurity coping strategies. A systematized keyword search was conducted in various electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL EBSCOHost, Embase Ovid, Science Direct, Medline, Global Health, SCOPUS, Google and Google scholar). Out of 1352 potential articles, 21 studies were selected for review. Households employed nine key coping strategies. These strategies include water storage, construction of alternative water source, water sharing and borrowing from social networks, buying water from private vendors, water management and reuse, illegal connections to public water networks, water harvesting, fetching water from distant sources, and water treatment to improve the quality. Some of these coping strategies had far-reaching health and economic consequences, including the risk of water contamination, adverse psychosocial health, and impacts on household savings. We found that poor households, due to their over-reliance on short term labour-intensive and time-consuming coping strategies, are further economically disadvantaged by water insecurity. From a policy perspective, we recommend that investments in effective and efficient water supply infrastructure are needed to help alleviate the day-to-day hassles of water users. While policymakers are looking for long term solutions to these problems, some of the coping strategies identified in this synthesis, such as water conservation, water reuse, and purification of water before consumption, could be encouraged as supplementary strategies to meet households' immediate water needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meshack Achore
- School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Elijah Bisung
- School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Elias D Kuusaana
- Department of Real Estate and Land Management, University for Development Studies, Wa Upper West Region, Ghana
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“That’s Our Traditional Way as Indigenous Peoples”: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Understanding Community Support of Sustainable Energies in NunatuKavut, Labrador. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12156050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is a substantial body of literature in North America regarding the social acceptance of renewable energies, particularly wind energy. However, limited research focuses on the experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Furthermore, several researchers have called for a rapid transition to renewable energies in Indigenous off-grid diesel powered communities in Canada, while limited research has considered local support for this transition, which neglects the Indigenous right of free, prior, and informed consent for developments on or which affect their territories. Working in partnership with nine Indigenous off-grid communities in southeast Labrador, we assess community-member perceptions and support of sustainable energies via hybrid interviews/surveys (n = 211) and key informant interviews (n = 11). Applying directed content analysis and participatory methodologies, we find that five primary themes influence Indigenous support for sustainable energies in southeast Labrador: (1) Community familiarity and understanding; (2) association with previous projects; (3) relationships with culture and sustenance; (4) endogeneity of resources; (5) energy security impacts. The themes should be viewed as a framework for understanding community support, not a definitive recipe for reaching consent. Applying these themes, we demonstrate broad community support for conventional renewables (wind, solar), reluctance towards emerging renewables (biomass, tidal, wave) and energy storage (pumped hydro, battery), and wide opposition for hydroelectricity and small modular nuclear. We demonstrate that energy efficiency applications maintain substantially higher support than most supply-side options. Supply-side sustainable energies have the potential to perpetuate the colonial or extractive nature of resource development in Indigenous communities, while energy efficiency applications more directly facilitate energy security and protect energy sovereignty.
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Geere JAL, Cortobius M, Geere JH, Hammer CC, Hunter PR. Is water carriage associated with the water carrier's health? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMJ Glob Health 2018; 3:e000764. [PMID: 29989042 PMCID: PMC6035504 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The work of carrying water falls mainly on women and children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and rural areas. While concerns have been raised, how water carriage is associated with health of the water carrier is not clear. The aim of this review is to summarise evidence on whether, and how, water carriage is associated with the water carrier’s health. Methods A systematic review of literature was conducted, searching Embase; Medline; Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index; Web of Science Arts and Humanities Citation Index; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation website; WHO Virtual Health Sciences Library and WHO African index medicus, from inception to 8 November 2017. Results Forty-two studies were included. Their ability to demonstrate cause and effect relationships was limited by study design and fair or poor methodological quality. Overall, the studies suggest that water carriage is associated with negative aspects of the water carriers’ health. There is moderate quantitative and strong qualitative evidence that water carriage is associated with pain, fatigue, perinatal health problems and violence against vulnerable people, and inconclusive evidence of an association with stress or self-reported mental health and general health status. Conclusion In many circumstances, water carriage is a potential barrier to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 target ‘universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all’ and SDG 3 ‘ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’. Efforts should focus on providing water on premises, and where this is not possible, providing water close to home and reducing risk of gender-based violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Anne Lee Geere
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Moa Cortobius
- Stockholm International Water Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Paul R Hunter
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.,Department of Environmental Health, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
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