4.2.1—Water security definition
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Objective
- 4.2.1
- Level
- SL
Test Water Security beyond Quantity
Water security requires reliable access to enough safe, affordable water—not quantity alone.
Check four failures: too little supply, unsafe quality, unaffordable or distant access, and unreliable delivery. Secure water supports health, sanitation, education and livelihoods.
A clean well two hours away may exist in abundance, yet daily collection time still makes household access insecure.
Water security fails when water is unsafe even if total volume is sufficient; quantity, safety and practical access must all be tested.
National water abundance does not prove every household has secure water.