Factors influencing water inequality: A case of Structural Violence in Sihala, Rawalpindi

Abstract

The debate over water scarcity has increased over the past decade. Studies have focused on describing how water inequality is a form of structural violence as it leads to inaccessibility to various groups. To create equity in its distribution, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focusing on water redistribution have been implemented. However, the problem with the variations of water inequality according to different social and economic factors at the local level have not been taken into consideration when measuring and redistributing safe water. Within South-east Asia, water inequality has led to graver consequences in countries such as Pakistan where some communities are either completely water scarce or drinking unsafe water. This study focuses on analyzing the different factors that influence uneven water distribution at the household level and the relationship of the households with the water sources within Sihala Rawalpindi. The low level of water within the area was unevenly distributed with some parts facing excess water shortage as compared to others, the reason for the uneven water accessibility was probed into through qualitative and quantitative means. This was done by interviews of 150 households within three villages of Sihala. The results were analyzed using Binary Regression and Qualitative techniques. The conclusion drawn from the results showed that factors such as income, location and household size had major influences on water distribution while one of the major finding of the qualitative analysis showed that people preferred to use their own perceptions on whether or not the water being used was safe or not. In conclusion, water access and the factors influencing the distribution of water between households enabled one to understand that an uneven distribution of water is not only due to water being scarce within the vicinity but due to different socio-economic factors influencing the accessibility of water resources.