Coping with water, energy, and food challenges: A case study of low-income households in Soweto, South Africa

Rapid population growth and the climate change crisis exert significant pressure on resources, including water, energy, and food (WEF).Providing these essential resources amidst increasing demand presents a substantial challenge for local governments in developing countries.Current strategies of coping with these resource shortages in a household context are creating more challenges concerning human health and the environment.The interdependence and interactions between WEF systems necessitate an integrated management approach in investigating ways of ensuring their sustainable provision.This study analyses the state of WEF provisioning, the challenges faced, and the coping strategies among low-income households in Soweto.Data was collected through a survey.Questionnaires were administered to 486 households to establish the sources of WEF, challenges, and coping methods.The research is informed by Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, which evaluates the processes of coping with stress in the context of WEF.Findings revealed water-energy supply interruptions and increasing electricity and food costs, among other challenges.Various coping strategies adopted by households include buying bottled water, storing water in plastic buckets, using gas and wood fuel for cooking, staying outside during loadshedding until electricity is restored, and buying cheap foodstuffs.The provision of safe, reliable, and sustainably managed WEF resources is urgently needed in the area for both environmental and human well-being.Sensitizing the community on water-energy conservation measures reduces carbon emissions, saves water and energy, boosts financial savings, and bolsters households' food security.Insights from this study can assist policymakers in identifying sustainable practices for addressing the complex challenges faced in WEF provisioning.The integration of WEF management policies can also foster the sustainability of policies.