Date of Defense
4-14-2004
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Dr. Sybil Rhodes
Second Advisor
Dr. Jim Butterfield
Third Advisor
Dr. Thomas Kostrzewa
Abstract
The issue of water, namely not having access to safe drinking water and sanitation, is one of the main obstacles to poverty reduction in the developing world. As an activist striving toward global social justice, I have come to recognize the profound consequences resulting from the lack of water services. I participated in an intensive week-long study of Mexico along the U.S. Mexico border, and encountered urban households, often self-constructed shacks, having to buy bottled water for all the family's needs—which consumed about a third of their monthly budgets on average. In extreme cases I was told that up to 70% of a family's budget was spent on water, and in some homes (like the one I stayed in) in order to take a warm shower one has to heat up water on a stove, often fueled by hazardous gases or substandard electrical hookups.
Recommended Citation
Bungert, Lisa, "Thirsty? A Study on Equitable Water Provision in Latin America" (2004). Honors Theses. 870.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/870
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Campus Only