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Waves of change: a preliminary literature review of non-drinkable water and environmental justice research
Citation:
Canfield, Katherine, A. Cato, K. Torso, AND K. Mulvaney. Waves of change: a preliminary literature review of non-drinkable water and environmental justice research. Hydrological Sciences Journal. IAHS LIMITED, Oxford, Uk, 69(1):120-138, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2023.2280679
Impact/Purpose:
There is increasing concern about environmental inequities and the communities that are impacted. To date, the research on this topic has largely been focused on air-related exposures, and with water, concerns about safety of drinking water. There are many other potential environmental inequities related to water that go beyond the water we drink. To potentially address these concerns moving forward, we first need to better understand what is currently known about the intersection of water and environmental justice. Using a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature, we synthesize what research exists and what topics are not highly researched to date related to nondrinking water and environmental justice. We found a focus on freshwater rather than marine environmental justice research, with the biggest focus on water distribution and flooding. Distributional and procedural injustices were more commonly investigated than recognitional and capabilities injustices. The most common research efforts were qualitative case studies and larger spatial analyses of disparities. There remains considerable need for research connected to the complex issues of environmental justice and water.
Description:
For decades, researchers have sought to document injustices, highlight activism, and identify pathways in moving toward environmental justice (EJ). EJ research regarding water has been predominantly focused on drinking water. This project sought to identify and analyze the breadth of peer-reviewed research on EJ and water beyond drinking water. We conducted a systematic literature review to catalog a representative sample of academic literature on EJ and surface water. We found a focus on freshwater rather than marine EJ research, with the biggest focus on anthropogenic-induced change and management and policy considerations. Distributional and procedural injustices were more commonly investigated than recognitional and capabilities injustices. The most common research efforts were qualitative case studies and larger spatial analyses of disparities. There remains considerable need for research connected to the complex issues of EJ and water.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Waves of change: a preliminary literature review of non-drinkable water and environmental justice research