Achieving the human right to water in California

Team: Sarah Fletcher, Jenna Davis, Khalid Osman, Barton Thompson
Mid-range (Developing)

Traditional measures of water affordability may gloss over subpopulations of households struggling to maintain access to water for drinking and sanitation, a fundamental human right. (Getty Images)

This team, building on a shared interest in the human right to water in California, studied the impacts of drought on household water affordability. Drought limits water supply, degrades water quality, increases water costs, and diminishes income for people who work in water-intensive industries such as agriculture and tourism. The researchers developed a comprehensive framework to identify the pathways through which drought impacts household water affordability. The framework highlighted five key pathways: non-network domestic supply sourcing, capital investment-induced rate changes, temporary drought surcharges, farmworker income impacts, and infrastructure development restrictions. The team also analyzed 25 case studies in California where drought impacted affordability. They reviewed planning and media documents to piece together causal pathways and interviewed external experts. Results illuminate the underlying mechanisms by which drought affects water affordability and thereby reveal potential threats and solutions.