Sense of community, water insecurity and health of the inhabitants of Colima in the Municipality of Suchitoto

Abstract

The scarcity of water resources is a global problem; El Salvador is the one with the least access to water in the Central American region, causing rivers to lose their flow level (UNES, 2019), which probably influences water insecurity. This publication seeks to verify the psychosocial factors related to water insecurity in inhabitants of the Colima Community, of the Municipality of Suchitoto, Department of Cuscatlán. The study is based on a mixed approach, based on a combination strategy; the sample is made up of 152 people between men and women over 18 years of age.

Correlations were established between water insecurity, the sense of community and the health of the inhabitants of the area; In addition, perceptions about the community organization of the management of community's water resources were explored. It was found that water insecurity is negatively correlated with the sense of community and health, in the case of men there is no statistical evidence of correlations between the variables. Based on the results, it is concluded that women who experience associations between water insecurity and psychosocial factors of community sense an health; that in general there are perceived difficulties regarding the organization of water resources.