School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Department of Community Programs, Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital, Dhulikhel 45200, Nepal.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 7;17(18):6517. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186517.
As one of the poorest nations, citizens of Nepal lack access to safe, affordable, and sufficient drinking water. While many nationwide studies have been performed at a country or regional level in Nepal to determine regions of the highest vulnerability, this study uniquely recognizes the economic heterogeneity within a single rural village and assesses the impact of household socioeconomic status on water access at the intracommunity level. Household surveys in a rural village setting provided the information for a locally-informed relative wealth index. A spatial analysis determined suitable locations for future installation of improved water sources to prioritize water access for the community's most vulnerable households. Three sites were shown to be optimal for future water source construction. This study provides a blueprint to assess water inequalities within a single village and incorporate forward-thinking development approaches to water access.
作为最贫穷的国家之一，尼泊尔公民缺乏安全、负担得起和充足的饮用水。虽然尼泊尔已经在全国范围内或地区范围内进行了许多研究，以确定最脆弱的地区，但这项研究独特地认识到了一个单一农村村庄内部的经济异质性，并评估了家庭社会经济地位对社区内水接入的影响。在农村村庄环境中进行的家庭调查为当地知情的相对富裕指数提供了信息。空间分析确定了未来改进水源安装的合适位置，以优先考虑社区最脆弱家庭的用水。有三个地点被证明是未来水源建设的最佳选择。这项研究提供了一个蓝图，以评估单个村庄内的水不平等，并纳入前瞻性发展方法来解决水接入问题。
