Exploring the socioeconomic determinants of water security in developing regions

Abstract The objectives of this study are two fold: first, to develop a composite water security metric to assess water security at a national scale, and second, to explore the determinants of water security at the same scale in three developing regions – Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The water security index (WSI) was developed using three biophysical (water availability, climate risk and ecosystem vitality) and two socioeconomic (water accessibility and integrated water resources management) variables. Five independent variables (governance, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, percentage of urban population, official development assistance for water and sanitation services (ODA-WSS) and female primary school completion rate) were used to explore the determinants of water security. Results show that >90% of countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions are water-insecure, whereas most countries in LAC are water-secure except Haiti, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Statistical analyses show that GDP per capita, female primary school completion rate and governance are the key determinants of water security. This study provides empirical evidence on the link between female primary school completion rate and water security. Results further show a strong correlation between water security and ODA-WSS in the region with a higher ODA-WSS per capita than in regions with a low ODA-WSS per capita. This suggests that increasing ODA-WSS per capita may enhance water security in developing regions.