Application of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) in Amazon rural communities, Pará, Brazil

Bibliographic Data

ID21696844
AuthorsDiêgo Lima Crispim (0000-0003-1491-2636, Universidade Federal do Pará, corresponding author), Lindemberg Lima Fernandes (0000-0003-1806-4670, Universidade Federal do Pará)
Year2022
Volume24
Issue2
Pages282-304
Publication date2022-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWater Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1366-7017 • E-ISSN: 1996-9759
PublisherIWA Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.2166/wp.2022.153
OpenAlexW4205686305
LanguageEN
References cited26

This paper proposes an adaptation of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) to the Brazilian Amazon region. Policymakers can use this tool to identify areas of water stress and develop actions to guarantee water access to rural communities. Multi-criteria analysis and a geographical information system were integrated to incorporate various indicators and produce maps displaying spatial water sustainability levels in rural communities. The RWSI was employed on a case study at 16 rural communities in Santa Luzia do Pará, Pará, Brazil. In total, 380 closed and structured interviews were conducted with people living in the area to collect local information for the model application. The results showed a varied spatial behavior between rural communities of Santa Luzia do Pará, with similarities and differences based on the overall condition of water resources (final index values). Half of the locations had ‘Poor’ or ‘Poor-Medium’ water quality. The remaining sample obtained scores ranging from ‘Medium-Good’ to ‘Good’ water sustainability. RWSI scores varied widely (from 5.7 to 6.5) among the communities. It was also found that localities more distant from surface water presented more water stress

Amazon rainforest · Economics · Environmental resource management · Geography · Political science · Rural area · Socioeconomics · Sustainability · Water quality · Water resource management · Water resources · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Environmental Science · Water Resources and Sustainability · Water resources management and optimization · Ecology

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