A comparative analysis of urban and rural household water insecurity experiences during the 2011–17 drought in Ceará, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article compares urban and rural household water insecurity experiences during the last major drought period (2011–17) in the semi-arid interior region of Ceará, Brazil. Using data from a household survey (N = 322), we determined that households in small urban areas are more and differently water insecure than rural counterparts. Factor analysis and an ordinal logistic regression pinpoint key dimensions, such as water distress, water-sharing and intermittency, contribute differently to water insecurity in rural and urban households. Policy recommendations are made.