Should we stay or should we go? Household water insecurity is associated with higher residential mobility ideation

This study used survey data collected from 5,332 households across 22 sites in 19 low- and middle-income countries to assess whether three experiential domains of water insecurity – water worry, insufficient water for personal hygiene, and interpersonal water conflict – were associated with residential mobility ideation (RMI), i.e. considering relocating the household due to water problems. In hierarchical logistic regression models, all three water insecurity domains were associated with RMI after adjusting for household characteristics related to mobility and migration. These relationships warrant further study to understand whether water interventions can mitigate displacement and other migration pressures related to global environmental change.