Análise da segurança hídrica domiciliar a partir da percepção dos residentes do município de Quixeramobim, Ceará

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze household water security in the municipality of Quixeramobim, Ceará, based on residents’ perceptions, through a comparison between urban and rural areas. Specifically, the study sought to characterize households in terms of socioeconomic conditions, water infrastructure, and sanitation; analyze families’ perceptions regarding household water security indicators; measure water security levels; and compare the level of water security between urban and rural households. To this end, a structured questionnaire was used, covering dimensions related to water availability, quality, acceptability, and accessibility, as well as socioeconomic and infrastructure information. The measurement of water security levels was carried out through the construction of a Household Water Security Index (HWSI), obtained by aggregating indicators measured on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. The comparison between groups was conducted based on mean index values and the application of the Mann–Whitney test for independent samples. The results indicate that household water insecurity does not manifest at extreme levels, with a predominance of a moderate level of water security in both urban and rural areas. Although mean values are slightly higher in the urban area, this difference was not sufficient to change the overall classification between the groups, suggesting relatively similar conditions in aggregate terms. However, the disaggregated analysis of the indicators reveals relevant inequalities between the contexts. Statistically significant differences were identified in the dimensions of availability and accessibility, with better results in the urban area, while the rural area showed better performance in the quality dimension. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were observed in the income dimension, indicating relative socioeconomic homogeneity among the analyzed households. Thus, although the aggregated index points to similar levels of water security, the analysis of specific dimensions reveals the persistence of structural inequalities in access to water in Quixeramobim, especially in rural areas. These disparities are partially mitigated by adaptive strategies developed by households, but they still limit the achievement of higher levels of household water security.