Waves of change: a preliminary literature review of non-drinkable water and environmental justice research

For decades, researchers have sought to document injustices, highlight activism, and identify pathways in moving toward environmental justice (EJ). EJ research regarding water has been predominantly focused on drinking water. This project sought to identify and analyze the breadth of peer-reviewed research on EJ and water beyond drinking water. We conducted a systematic literature review to catalog a representative sample of academic literature on EJ and surface water. We found a focus on freshwater rather than marine EJ research, with the biggest focus on anthropogenic-induced change and management and policy considerations. Distributional and procedural injustices were more commonly investigated than recognitional and capabilities injustices. The most common research efforts were qualitative case studies and larger spatial analyses of disparities. There remains considerable need for research connected to the complex issues of EJ and water.