Extended Abstract

Introduction

Water insecurity is defined as a condition where the affordability, reliability, adequacy and safety of water are significantly diminished or unattainable, thereby threatening or jeopardizing well-being. In other words, water insecurity refers to a situation where access to sufficient and clean water for family members is not consistently available, which hinders a healthy and active life. Water serves as the most critical axis of environmental development, capable of influencing the structural-spatial distribution of development and posing fundamental challenges to long-term planning processes. The study of water security issues has emerged as a political, social and economic necessity, as the scope of interactions and relationships extends beyond local and regional levels, becoming a matter of national and international concern. Water insecurity is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by various social, economic and environmental factors. Therefore, for a better understanding of this phenomenon, it is essential to comprehensively and systematically examine its different dimensions, including the severity of insecurity, adaptability and resilience. Among the social consequences of water insecurity are social migration, conflicts and social tensions, increased poverty, reduced well-being and prosperity, diminished living standards, and heightened hunger. Economic consequences include the limitation of economic development, threats to livelihoods, rising unemployment rates and decreased agricultural and crop production. Environmental repercussions involve threats to health, food security, reduced access to clean and safe water, the spread of diseases, increased natural events such as floods, land subsidence, droughts, and damage to infrastructure and facilities, as well as environmental pollution, threats to groundwater resources and loss of biodiversity.



Methodology

This research aimed to identify the effective factors and consequences of water insecurity in rural households, employing a qualitative approach and a meta-synthesis method. The study population comprised 230 published scientific documents from 2010 to 2025, sourced from four international databases (Wiley, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect) and three domestic databases (Magiran, SID, and Noormags) using keywords related to water insecurity, water consumption management and rural households. The main stages of the meta-synthesis in this study followed the seven-step method proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). These stages, in order, include: formulating the research question, conducting a systematic literature review, searching for and selecting articles, extracting information from the articles, analyzing and synthesizing qualitative findings, quality control and presenting the results.



Results and discussion

In this study, all factors extracted from previous research were initially considered as primary codes and subsequently categorized conceptually. Based on the analysis conducted, themes were derived from the categorization of concepts and ultimately, categories emerged from the categorization of themes. In total, from the 42 selected studies, 2 categories, 6 themes and 56 concepts were identified as effective factors and consequences of domestic water insecurity in rural areas. Due to the constraints of the article's length, the findings from open coding were exemplified in five documents out of the forty-two reviewed. According to the analysis of the documents, a total of 5 dimensions, 11 components and 74 concepts were identified. The main dimensions included human, social, economic, climatic and political factors. The extracted components were as follows: individual, professional, justice, health, cultural, psychological, financial, welfare, physical, environmental and governmental. Furthermore, the consequences of water insecurity on rural communities can be categorized into three dimensions: social, economic and climatic consequences. In the social dimension, two main themes identified were health and psychology. In the economic and climatic sections, two main themes were recognized as financial and environmental, respectively. These results reflect the multifaceted nature of domestic water insecurity and the necessity for designing integrated policies and interventions to manage this crisis in rural communities.



Conclusion

Domestic water insecurity is considered one of the fundamental challenges in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. Due to climate change and seasonal fluctuations, this issue is increasingly exacerbated, negatively impacting the health and well-being of households. Based on a meta-synthesis analysis aligned with the seven-step method of Sandelowski and Barroso, a set of factors influencing water security and domestic water insecurity was identified, categorized into five dimensions: human, social, economic, climatic, and political. Additionally, extensive studies regarding the consequences of water insecurity on rural communities were extracted in this research, with the most significant impacts categorized into three dimensions: social, economic and climatic consequences. By identifying the factors affecting water insecurity and the repercussions of this phenomenon on rural communities, policymakers can design programs that address these issues and make more informed decisions regarding resource allocation and long-term planning for sustainable development. Policy makers can design programs to address these challenges and make more informed decisions regarding resource allocation and long-term planning for sustainable development.