WATER INSECURITY AND HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY IN SINDH: ASSESSING ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY AND COPING STRATEGIES

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between household water insecurity and food insecurity in selected districts of Sindh, Pakistan, with particular attention to economic vulnerability and coping strategies. The study uses a cross-sectional analytical framework based on a structured household questionnaire covering water insecurity, economic vulnerability, coping strategies, and food insecurity. The analytical dataset comprises 427 complete household records from Tharparkar, Thatta, Hyderabad, and Karachi. Descriptive statistics, internal consistency analysis, correlation analysis, multivariable regression, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis were conducted. Water insecurity was positively associated with economic vulnerability, coping strategies, and household food insecurity. Economic vulnerability and coping strategies were also positively associated with food insecurity, while indirect associations through these mechanisms were statistically distinguishable from zero. The findings support an integrated interpretation of water and food insecurity in which water-related stress is associated not only with resource access but also with household economic pressure and coping responses. The study contributes Sindh-specific evidence to the growing literature on water and food insecurity as interconnected household-level challenges.