Water poverty, sociomaterial conditions and climate change: outlining intersections in the global north

This paper explores water poverty in the province of Barcelona, focusing on the intersections of affordability, housing conditions, and climate extremes. Water poverty, defined as a lack of or limited access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water, is a growing challenge even in the Global North, where it is often linked to the inability to pay water bills. The study hypothesises that water poverty is exacerbated by fragile social environments interacting with increasingly hazardous physical environments, and investigates how vulnerable households in the cities of Barcelona, Rubí and Manresa experience the interplay between water costs, housing quality, and extreme climatic conditions. An additional, more specific objective is to examine coping strategies for heatwaves, specifically how households weigh affordability trade-offs between water-related and energy-related options. The methodology involves 112 semi-structured interviews with vulnerable households, with questions on water use habits and saving strategies, including access to subsidies and other relief measures. Findings reveal that water affordability is a significant issue, with many households struggling to pay their bills. Housing conditions, such as inefficient fixtures, contribute to higher consumption, while climate extremes, like droughts and heatwaves, increase demand and costs, further exacerbating water poverty. Finally, in the context of the water-energy nexus at the household level, results indicate that respondents think that they can manage water better than energy, also highlighting the fundamental role of water in dealing with heat stress.