Crisis and socioeconomic inequalities in water access in El Salvador: a hydro-social cycle analysis

Abstract

This article analyzes the main problems and challenges of water management in El Salvador from the perspective of the hydro-so-cial cycle. The study is based on quantitative and descriptive research supported by the “Survey on Access to Quality Water,” applied to 1,200 households nationwide, and comple-mented with official statistics and institutional documents. The results reveal a growing gap between water demand and availability, driven by urban expansion, industrial and popula-tion growth, as well as socioeconomic factors that restrict equitable access to the resource. These dynamics illustrate how the interaction between society and water deepens territo-rial, socioeconomic, and gender inequalities, shaping scenarios of vulnerability and tensions in water governance. The original contribution of this study lies in framing these inequities as critical elements for understanding El Salvador’s hydro-social crisis and in undersco-ring the urgency of designing integrated public policies that recognize the centrality of water for sustainability and social justice.