Bhargava, Mansee Bal

The increasing frequency of both natural and manmade disasters globally has amplified their impact on vulnerable populations, especially marginalized communities and further on women. These disasters—ranging from floods and droughts to wars and communal violence—disproportionately affect women, exacerbating the physical, psychological, social, and political marginalization. The study investigates the critical and often unrecognized ‘water anxiety’ defined as, the mental stress stemming from uncertainty regarding access to water and sanitation during and after disasters. The disasters causing physical displacements intensify the physical, psychological, social, and gender challenges, placing a heavier burden on women. The study aimed to examine the relationships between disasters led displacement with provisioning of water security, and further between the women's anxiety and their resilience in managing water uncertainty and scarcity. The study is part of a project that plans to facilitate water security by bridging the affected communities and the donor organizations. The objective of the paper is to highlight the pattern of water anxiety from the findings and learning from case studies namely, recurring hurricane in Acapulco, Mexico; recurring GLOF (glacier lake outburst flood) affected Kalimpong, India; recurring earthquake in Lamjung District, Nepal; 2023 communal violence in Kakching, India; and 2024 landslides in Wayanad District, India. The approach to study includes ethnographic surveys, qualitative and quantitative tools. Collaborating with local partners—particularly women—and partnering with local NGOs and government entities play a pivotal role in implementing initiatives to understand water anxiety to incorporate them in the water security. The key takeaway from the study is that water anxiety needs factoring in the water security policies and funding to be able to address the water apathy of the disaster affected communities. Besides, the community resilience building among the vulnerable women is worth documenting and dissemination learning.