“If It’s Yellow, Let It Mellow, If It’s Brown, Let It Drown”: Examining the Health Effects of Drought-Induced Water Rationing for Sanitary Needs

Abstract

This paper focuses on the impacts of water stress on health outcomes. It specifically investigates the health effects of insufficiency of water for sanitary needs in drought-affected households. A focus group discussion that drew medical experts from such fields as medicine, virology, and microbiology was conducted to collect data. The findings of the study show that there is a possibility of vulnerability to negative health outcomes such as Cholera, Diarrhea, and respiratory problems by households that lack the necessary levels of water for domestic, sanitation, and hygiene uses. It is therefore important that individuals and households susceptible to the vagaries of drought be aware of this relationship so that they may forge necessary adaptive measures such as the use of purifiers, hand and surface sanitizers, and disinfectants to mitigate the health effects of a drought that are related to inadequate water use for sanitary purposes.