Perceived Health Impacts of Watershed Development Projects in Southern India: A Qualitative Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Design and Study Setting
2.2. Data Collection
2.3. Data Management and Analysis
2.4. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
3.1. Pathways towards Nutritional Impacts
3.1.1. Direct Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition
“For home use, we grow finger millet surely, and pigeon peas and flat beans. If we ignore that, and plant other crops in those lands and don’t get returns…it will be difficult.”(land-owning male, GC, 35 years)
3.1.2. Income-Mediated Impacts on Food Security and Nutrition
“I had bought one (cow), and eventually bought four. Now I have two, but have kept 20 sheep too. I didn’t have cows or sheep earlier. I only worked for daily wage.”(landless female, ST, 37 years)
“They gave us Rs. 7,000…told us to buy a goat and grow the money...but we didn’t …we just used it for our regular expenses.”(landless female, SC, 68 years)
“We put bunds in 10 acres of mango plantation. I was not getting good yield earlier. Once it rained next year, the water was held in the soil in my field and the plants developed well. We got 5 tonnes earlier, then we got 10–15 tonnes and now we get even up to 25 tonnes.”(land-owning male, GC, 63 years)
3.2. Impacts on Disease Vector Ecology
“They can use carpio, which is edible and can grow to 600–700 g and is a protein source, and use gambusia along with that.”(Health academician 1)
3.3. Health Impacts of Opportunistic Activities during WSD Projects
“We bought it (gas connection) through the SHG itself. Earlier we used firewood. When it rained, we couldn’t cook. The kerosene stove was also difficult to use. Now it is much better.”(landless female, ST, 37 years)
4. Discussion
4.1. Size and Distribution of Impacts of WSD Projects
4.2. Interpreting Nutritional Impacts
4.3. Interpreting Other Health Impacts
4.4. Challenges in Eliciting Health Impacts
4.5. Strengths of the Study
4.6. Limitations, and Scope for Further Research
4.7. Future Action
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Village Characteristics | Village 1 | Village 2 | Village 3 | Village 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sub-district | Malur | Bangarpet | Kolar | Bangarpet |
Distance to sub-district headquarters (km) | 26 | 44 | 10 | 20 |
Total households | 181 | 187 | 92 | 46 |
Total population | 879 | 676 | 454 | 211 |
Scheduled caste population (%) | 15.6 | 47.0 | 15.4 | 0.0 |
Scheduled tribe population (%) | 24.6 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
Geographical area of village (ha) | 440.6 | 777.6 | 87.2 | 151.8 |
Distance to primary health centre (km) | 5–10 | 5–10 | 5–10 | 5–10 |
Water supply | Available | Available | Available | Available |
Governmental crèche (anganwadi) | Available | Available | Available | At nearby village |
Themes | Sub-Themes | Codes |
---|---|---|
Pathways towards nutritional impacts | Direct impacts on food security and nutrition; income-mediated impacts on food security and nutrition | Crop choices, irrigated agriculture, rain-fed agriculture, financing agriculture, agri-inputs, wildlife and pests, surface water irrigation, food security, diet, wage labour, livestock, self-help groups, common lands, migration, nutrition, chemical toxicity, participation in WSD project, tree-planting, livelihood activities, impact on water and soil conservation, impact on food production, impact on wage labour, impact on livelihood and impact on nutrition |
Impacts on disease vector ecology | Mosquitoes, vector-borne diseases, watershed structures, impact on local environment, impact on mosquitoes and vector control activities | |
Health impacts of opportunistic activities | Hygiene, drinking water quality, diarrhoeal diseases, other work-related health problems, access to healthcare, creating local institutions, other structures created, health activities, water for domestic use, impact on awareness, impact on sanitation and other health impacts |
Participants | Number (%) | Average Duration - Minutes (SD) |
---|---|---|
Local people (n = 26) | ||
Men [average age (SD): 40.5 years (11.4 years)] | 13 (50) | 23.4 (10.1) |
Women [average age (SD): 46.2 years (12.7 years)] | 13 (50) | 19.6 (7.9) |
Scheduled caste | 4 (15) | 15.5 (2.4) |
Scheduled tribe | 9 (35) | 16.8 (6.4) |
Other caste | 13 (50) | 26.6 (9.4) |
Land-owning, with irrigation | 12 (46) | 25.4 (7.9) |
Land-owning, without irrigation | 5 (19) | 21.5 (15.7) |
Landless | 9 (35) | 19 (2.5) |
Key informants (n = 14) | ||
Field health-worker | 5 (35.7) | 16.8 (4.6) |
Field project staff (liaison) | 4 (28.6) | 29 (6.2) |
Project managerial officials | 3 (21.4) | 37.3 (18.5) |
WSD expert (other region) | 1 (7.1) | 92 |
Environmental health academician | 1 (7.1) | 81 |
FGD participants (n = 2; with 12 participants) | ||
Female [average age (SD): 42.5 years (14.5 years)] | 12 (100) | 27 (5.7) |
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Pradyumna, A.; Mishra, A.; Utzinger, J.; Winkler, M.S. Perceived Health Impacts of Watershed Development Projects in Southern India: A Qualitative Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3448. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103448
Pradyumna A, Mishra A, Utzinger J, Winkler MS. Perceived Health Impacts of Watershed Development Projects in Southern India: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(10):3448. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103448
Chicago/Turabian StylePradyumna, Adithya, Arima Mishra, Jürg Utzinger, and Mirko S. Winkler. 2020. "Perceived Health Impacts of Watershed Development Projects in Southern India: A Qualitative Study" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 10: 3448. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103448