The Impact of Water Poverty on Food Insecurity at the Household Scale: Experiences from Hamburg and Melani Communities, Eastern Cape, South Africa

In developing countries, water is vital in improving food security, especially in rural communities where households depend on gardening for nutritious food. However, limited information is available to address the impact of water poverty on food insecurity, rendering the idea that rural households depend on water for nutritious food. Thus, this study sought to investigate the impact of water poverty on food insecurity in rural settings. The study gathered data from 283 rural households using a cross-sectional research approach. The socioeconomic features of the household were summarised using descriptive statistics. In addition, the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) was employed to quantify food insecurity while the water poverty index (WPI) was utilised to explore water poverty. The study employed Propensity Score Matching to analyse the impact. The results show that most households had mild food insecurity but little access to water. The Propensity Score Matching findings indicate a considerable rise in food insecurity for households with limited access to water. The results further indicate that the impact of water on food security is influenced by various socioeconomic and institutional factors. The study concludes that to reduce the impact of water insecurity on food security, policymakers should address issues including gender, employment, drought, and the amount of time needed to gather water.