Seguridad hidrica y factores socioculturales en comunidad Pilaga de Formosa, Argentina

Abstract

The lifestyles and worldviews of Indigenous communities have long been deeply intertwined with natural resources, particularly water. Nevertheless, these vital resources are now severely threatened by systemic social marginalization and the enduring impacts of colonization, further violating the human right to water access. Our primary objective was to assess the extent of water insecurity and explore its sociocultural associations in a Pilagá community in Formosa, Argentina. This mixed-methods cross-sectional study, conducted in 2023, involved data collection from Pilagá households representing 59 family clusters, covering all family units in the community. We employed a pre-validated HWISE survey. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The average age of participants was 36.8 ± 12.7 years, with most being women, who primarily handled the task of fetching water. Water insecurity was prevalent, affecting 62% of households, most of which depended on well pumps. In response, households engaged in resource sharing, which strained relationships around water access. Through an ecological model, we identified multiple interrelated contextual factors, revealing that shifts in one area had ripple effects across others. Key factors included water sources, cultural perceptions of water, resource distribution, and social dynamics around water. The Pilagá community confronts pervasive water insecurity within a challenging and evolving socio-ecological landscape.