Water security for subjective wellbeing: new perspectives for sustainable development

The notion of sustainable development in the current policy environment is inescapable from the concept of human wellbeing, as linked to the civic, political, economic, and natural environments people live in. However, the latter has been quite often overlooked in the scientific discussion, whereas nature’s ability to support and expand human capabilities and activities is essential for sustainable development. In this context, water is a crucial resource and has an immeasurable value in both economic and non-economic roles, with a deep spiritual significance in many cultures as well. However, access to clean water to meet basic needs is precluded in many countries in the world. This inaccessibility puts entire communities in jeopardy, thus impacting their happiness and sustainable living and development. A large proportion of the Nepalese society is bereft of access to adequate and safe drinking water, challenging the availability of this scares resource and its management in the future.

For this reason, we are undertaking 650 face-to-face interviews to understand peoples’ subjective wellbeing related to water in Pokhara metropolitans city, the second-largest city of Nepal. Preliminary results from the pre-test (n=50) demonstrated a modest sense of place and happiness overall but was impacted by the perceived unsatisfactory water quality. People strongly expressed a desire for new political commitment towards the creation of new regulatory approaches concerning water quality standards and management strategies. The pre-test respondents validated their support for increasing the quality of the water environment in the local water supply system by offering to pay an extra surcharge (in taxes or water bills), which is up to the double of their current expenses. These partial results suggest that the good quality of water is essential for the future urban planning in the form of increase people health and secure a sustainable development for future generations to come.