Work

Seasonal dynamics of multidimensional water poverty in a semi-arid region of India

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Seasonal variation in household water deprivation remains poorly understood, particularly in drought-prone semi-arid regions. This study examines the seasonal dynamics of multidimensional water poverty in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, using primary datafrom a survey of 1,618 households across 37 villages inJhansi district, of which 1,589 households (summer) and 1,597 (normal) had complete water-related information. A Multidimensional Water Poverty Index (MWPI) was constructed usingthe Alkire–Foster method, with a 30% poverty cut-off and four dimensions: access, stress, quality and capacity. To place household water poverty in its hydro-climatic context, drought conditions were assessed using the 12-month Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI-12) derived from India Meteorological Department gridded rainfall for 1993–2023, which showed a significant long-term decline and a cluster of drought years during 2017–2022. The share of multidimensionally water-poor households increasedfrom 48.4% in the normal season to 67.7% in summer, and the MWPI rose from 0.233 to 0.300. Water stress, reflected in short supply hours and long collection times, was the largest contributor to water poverty and accounted for about 90% of its seasonal change, whereas deprivation in household piped connections and sanitation changed little between seasons. Households relying on intermittent piped supply outside the dwelling were among the most deprived, and seven villages remainedhighly water-poor in both seasons. These results were robust to alternative poverty cut-offs and weighting schemes. The findings highlight the need for season-specific interventions that improve the reliability of water supply, alongside structural investment in household connections and sanitation, in drought-prone semi-arid regions.

Source: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators

DOI: 10.1016/j.indic.2026.101575