Data file for endline analysis.

Billions of people globally are at risk for severe water scarcity periodically throughout the year. Moreover, intensifying climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns will increase the severity and scope of those affected by household water insecurity, with negative consequences on household health and wellbeing. Faced with water insecurity, households shift to alternative water sources, which may be more expensive or of lower quality and contribute to both financial and health burdens. The extent to which household water insecurity varies throughout the year, however, remains understudied. Using a panel dataset of 2014 households across 40 villages in Matlab, Bangladesh, we test for seasonal variation in household water insecurity and its determinants using a modified HWISE scale. We find that while water insecurity in Matlab was low both pre- and post-monsoon, household water experiences vary throughout the year. Households report significantly lower water insecurity post-monsoon, compared to pre-monsoon, suggesting an annual measure of household water insecurity is insufficient to fully characterize intra-annual household water experiences. Comparing determinants of household water insecurity, we find that geography, household water use behaviors, and household characteristics are significantly related to experiences of household water insecurity but vary in their extent depending on the season. Our results demonstrate that physical location, seasonality, water quality, and household-level factors contribute to the dynamic nature of intra-annual household water insecurity. Knowing when and to what extent such determinants influence household water experiences throughout the year is essential for guiding and adapting engineering and policy design to reduce the costs and consequences of household water insecurity.

全球数十亿人口每年都会周期性面临严重水资源短缺的风险。此外，愈演愈烈的气候变化与愈发不可预测的天气模式，将加剧家庭用水不安全问题的严重程度与影响范围，并对家庭健康与福祉造成负面影响。面对用水不安全问题，家庭会转而寻求替代水源，这类水源往往成本更高或水质更差，进而带来经济与健康双重负担。不过，家庭用水不安全程度随季节变化的幅度，迄今仍未得到充分研究。本研究使用孟加拉国马特拉（Matlab）地区40个村庄共2014户家庭的面板数据集，采用改良的家庭用水不安全体验量表（HWISE），检验家庭用水不安全的季节差异及其影响因素。研究发现，尽管马特拉地区季风前后的用水不安全程度均处于较低水平，但家庭用水状况随季节呈现显著差异。与季风前期相比，季风后期家庭报告的用水不安全程度显著更低，这表明仅用年度指标无法全面刻画家庭年内的用水体验。对比不同季节的用水不安全影响因素，研究发现地理区位、家庭用水行为与家庭特征均与用水不安全体验显著相关，但其影响程度随季节存在差异。本研究结果表明，物理区位、季节周期性、水质以及家庭层面的因素共同塑造了家庭年内用水不安全的动态特征。明确上述影响因素在全年中发挥作用的时机与程度，对于优化工程设计与政策制定、降低家庭用水不安全带来的成本与后果至关重要。