Domestic water scarcity and children’s wellbeing in rural Rakai District, Uganda

Abstract

Water is very important to human life, and scarcity of water for domestic use impacts household wellbeing, with children being the most affected. This study examined the relationship between domestic water scarcity and children’s wellbeing in Rakai district, focusing mainly on their health, education and interpersonal relations. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, and data was collected using a survey of 405 children, focus group discussions and observation. The study compared the children’s experiences across two locations with differential water access levels, namely Lwanda and Kagamba sub-counties. Through the focus group discussions, parents and caregivers helped corroborate the data from the children. Data was analyzed using both SPSS and Nvivo-12 software; the study was guided by the structure agency theory and the structural model for child wellbeing. Children perceived their wellbeing in terms of basic needs such as access to education, good health, nutrition, shelter, good interpersonal relations, easy access to safe water, good hygiene, happiness and good physical appearance. Most children mentioned water scarcity as the biggest threat to their wellbeing (67.4%), particularly in Kagamba Sub-County. The water scarcity exposed them to several threats, and some of the coping strategies they adopted were injurious to their wellbeing. Over 90% affirmed that water inadequacy exposed them to diseases, workload, physical pains, unhappiness and compromised body hygiene. Effect on health was gendered with girls being more affected than boys. Their education (95.3%) was affected through tardiness, reduced time for private study, worry about fetching water and constant thirst. Girls tended to report education effects more than boys. The education effects were also reported more in the more water stressed sub-county Kagamba (X2=21.568, P<0.001). In addition, the majority of children (58.6%) said water scarcity constrained their relations with parents and siblings at home, sometimes resulting in verbal abuse and physical punishments. This study therefore argues that domestic water scarcity disproportionately affects children due to power relations and role expectations. The study shows that through existential agency and identity agency in performing their water provisioning role, children adapt to the scarcity. The structural model for child wellbeing helps to show that children must be seen as important actors in any attempt to understand the effect of water scarcity on child wellbeing, and proposes a natural resources endowment perspective in understanding child wellbeing including child work. In addition, it is evident that through gendering the distribution of water-related chores, the impact of water scarcity on child wellbeing has a sociocultural dimension. The study concludes that children’s encounter with water is negative and constrains their wellbeing, even though they, through their limited agency, creatively respond to the constraints. Recommendations of the study include systemic prioritization of improved water access as part of the national action plan on child wellbeing, and an increase in the number of appropriate technology safe water sources in the water-scarce rural areas.