In the wake of a growing concern about both the unchecked rise of poverty and the local and global consequences of water scarcity, the relationships between water and poverty are the object of a sprawling literature. Indicators are presented as indispensable tools for informing and orienting policy-making, comparing situations and measuring performance. This paper first reviews different conceptions of water scarcity and shows the variety of associated causes. A brief look at the virtues and shortcomings of some of the indicators used in the development sector then serves to introduce a review of the major water-scarcity/poverty indicators found in the literature. The reasons for their popularity and vitality are critically examined, and the links between indicators and policy-making are discussed.
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Research Article|
October 01 2003
Water poverty indicators: conceptual problems and policy issues Available to Purchase
François Molle;
François Molle
aInstitut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), France, seconded to the International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Peter Mollinga
Peter Mollinga
bIrrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, seconded to the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad
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Water Policy (2003) 5 (5-6): 529–544.
Article history
Received:
May 17 2003
Accepted:
July 14 2003
Citation
François Molle, Peter Mollinga; Water poverty indicators: conceptual problems and policy issues. Water Policy 1 October 2003; 5 (5-6): 529–544. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2003.0034
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