[H-CG25] Cultural Hydrology

[HCG25-02] Analysis of factors associated with domestic water consumption and water-related stress in a region with limited access to water

*Yuri Ito¹, Sadhana Shrestha¹, Anthony S. Kiem², Kei Nishida¹ (1.University of Yamanashi, 2.University of Newcastle)

Keywords:Kathmandu Valley, Regional disparity, Water scarcity

In the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, chronic water scarcity is a serious problem and residents commonly employ several coping strategies such as the use of multiple water sources, water storage and water sharing and borrowing. This study confirmed the physical (i.e. water source and supply time) and non-physical (i.e. no. of families, wealth status, education for household head, house ownership, water treatment and community involvement) factors associated with individual water consumption throughout the Valley using a hierarchical linear regression model. A questionnaire survey about socio-demographic characteristics, economic and domestic water use behavior, community involvement and perception of water insecurity was conducted three times for more than 1,000 households living in the Kathmandu Valley, and the collected data were used for analysis. The results of statistical analysis indicated that diversifying water sources is an effective strategy for obtaining water even in an emergency. In addition, wealth status and ownership were positively associated with water consumption only during the regular period and wet season, respectively. Only after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, households participating in the local community were found to consume more water than households not participating in the community, especially when the water being used was managed by the community. This study identified factors associated with increased water consumption. However, there is a possibility that these factors increase residents’ stress. Therefore, we will analyze the relationship between the above factors and water-related stress and present the results.