Water Security Program
This report explores the concept of felt sustainability in relation to water in an Indian context. Felt sustainability is a method of analyzing resource sustainability that foregrounds the perspective of those who have intimate ties with the natural resource. It refers to how sustainable ‘sufficient access’ to a resource feels – in this instance water – to those who use it. Though source sustainability is frequently a component of felt sustainability, it is far from the only factor. Individuals do not only care about whether water is available at a source – they primarily care about whether it is available to them in their homes. Regarding water, felt sustainability is thus defined as the perception of continued, sufficient access to water.