@article{faf82bfaaf22443384ae412c568c9a23,
title = "Water poverty in a {\textquoteleft}Hydro Nation{\textquoteright}: Exploring distributional and recognitional water injustice in Scotland",
abstract = "Scotland is celebrated as a {\textquoteleft}Hydro Nation{\textquoteright} with abundant water resources and some of the cheapest water in the UK. However, despite claims that the UK is meeting SDG 6.1 (universal access to safe, affordable drinking water), our analysis of twenty interviews with water and fuel poverty professionals found that many households across Scotland struggle to afford and access safe water. This situation was particularly evident for rural water users and BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) communities. We argue that the current definition of water poverty in the UK is inadequate and obscures the perpetuation of water injustice.",
author = "Anderson, {Heather k.} and Heather Price and Sam Staddon",
note = "Funding Information: As the focus in the UK has been on the affordability component of water poverty (NEA, 2019; UKWIR, 2020), access to support and advice for financial hardship must also be considered. When industry professionals discussed the support available to so-called {\textquoteleft}vulnerable{\textquoteright} customers, the language line (a language interpretation and translation service) was highlighted as an example. However, professionals from BAME organizations specifically identified the language interpretation services as an example of insufficient and tokenistic support:Previous research (Fraser of Allander Institute, 2019) and the findings presented here prove that water is not affordable or accessible for all in Scotland. Thus, we urge the Scottish Government and the water industry to recognise that water poverty exists in Scotland. Looking ahead, we suggest that access to essential services is considered holistically, rather than focussing on individual services alone. In the meantime, we propose that they adopt a similar approach to that taken for fuel poverty and consider both the affordability and experiential implications of living in water poverty. This approach supports the development of strategies that alleviate hardship and achieve more just water provision worthy of a {\textquoteleft}Hydro Nation{\textquoteright}. If the recommendations suggested below are implemented, the distributional and recognitional injustices relating to water access in Scotland will begin to reduce.ESRC provided funding to support this research via the SGSSS doctoral studentship (1 + 3), academic year 2019/20. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",
year = "2023",
month = dec,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.jup.2023.101679",
language = "English",
volume = "85",
journal = "Utilities Policy",
issn = "0957-1787",
publisher = "Elsevier",
}