Progress in access to water in homes in Bolivia: special attention to inequality issues

ABSTRACT One of the main challenges facing the water sector worldwide relates to the availability of water for households. However, it is not only important to analyze availability but also affordability, taking into account equity aspects. In this regard, by estimating indicators proposed by the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (JMP) and using statistical tests of means (ANOVA), it is evident that, in the case of Bolivia, for 2021, basic access to water service was 90.3% nationwide, 98.1% in the urban sector, and 73.0% in the rural sector, demonstrating a statistically significant difference between the two geographic areas. And if considered by income decile, for example, at the national level, the difference between the first and tenth deciles is almost 22.5%. In this sense, although water policy in Bolivia has advanced in recent years, it is important to consider actions to reduce this inequality and thus achieve greater social well-being, especially for the most vulnerable households. Consideration should be given to designing policies that provide assistance, primarily to the most vulnerable sectors, for example, by prioritizing investments in the sector to expand or improve the water network or distribution systems.