How would you define water security? Is it the constant flow of water from the taps in your home or do you feel secure knowing that rain has been forecast and the dam supplying your region is full? CSIR water experts conducted a qualitative interview-based analysis to determine a definition of water security. They found that water security is a state of mind based on an individual’s context. They recommended that policymakers should heed this context in responding to issues of water insecurity.

“Water security is based on the perceptions held by an individual regarding water-related threats and how it influences individuals and their natural surroundings,” says CSIR senior researcher, Dr Richard Meissner. The Greater Sekhukhune District and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipalities of South Africa were selected as case studies. Meissner explains that these two sites are particularly contrasting when it comes to their climate. While Sekhukhune is inland, has a drier climate and a more rural socio-economic profile, eThekwini is coastal and more urbanised with a complex economy and a diverse socio-economic structure.

The team interviewed a diverse stakeholder group, including community members, farmers and municipal staff. “We asked respondents about their understanding of the concept of water security and whether they believe that at the local and national level authorities had achieved water security for all,” says Meissner.

Meissner emphasises that weather events, such as flooding and drought, are not the only variables that influence water security perceptions. He says that perceptions depend on many different factors, such as a changing state of the natural environment; socio-economic status, for example, not everyone can afford to buy a water tank to harvest rain water; as well as interactions with local government.

Perceptions related to access to, availability and quality of water resources vary. Understanding how water security is perceived in specific localities could aid policymakers and health practitioners in developing more nuanced responses to ameliorate water insecurity and its negative effects on people’s wellbeing.

This research was funded by the Department of Science and Technology, the National Research Foundation, the Water Research Commission and the European Union KnowHow Marie Curie International Staff Exchange Scheme.