Water management practices under climate and infrastructure stress in Zaatari Refugee Camp: A gendered qualitative study.

BACKGROUND

Climate change-related heatwaves and dust storms increasingly strain water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) systems in displacement settings, yet little is known about how households manage water scarcity during acute climate events. Gendered roles and responsibilities in refugee camps may further influence how water scarcity is managed. This study examines how household water management practices intersect with psychosocial stress during extreme summer conditions in Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative study using gender-stratified focus group discussions with adult Syrian refugees in Zaatari Refugee Camp. Semi-structured focus groups explored experiences of water access, household water management, and stress during summer heatwaves and dust storms. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis with participatory validation involving refugee co-facilitators.

RESULTS

Participants described uneven WaSH system functioning driven by timing, pressure, and geographic location, alongside predictable summer reductions in water supply and increased demand during heatwaves and dust storms. Households and individuals employed creative water conservation strategies that were effective but amplified stress through sustained vigilance and restriction. Importantly, women more frequently reported responsibility for monitoring, rationing, and enforcing water use, alongside greater psychosocial strain, while men described episodic stress related to system failures or water procurement.

CONCLUSION

In displacement contexts, water scarcity functions as a chronic psychosocial stressor shaped by infrastructure, acute climate events, and gendered household responsibilities. Addressing water insecurity in protracted displacement settings requires integrated WaSH approaches that extend beyond infrastructure to include mental wellbeing, gender-responsive programming, and meaningful engagement of refugees as lived-experience experts in governance and intervention design.