SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER: A LITERATURE REVIEW WITH A FOCUS ON OKARA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Access to safe and drinkable water is a fundamental human right and a key determinant of public health and social development. This literature review explores the relationship between socioeconomic status and access to clean drinking water, with a specific focus on contextualizing these dynamics in Okara, Pakistan. Drawing on national and international scholarly sources, the review examines how variables such as income level, education, employment status, gender, and rural-urban disparities affect household and community-level access to potable water. Studies indicate that lower-income and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by water scarcity, contamination, and infrastructural neglect, often leading to adverse health outcomes and increased vulnerability. The review also highlights structural and policy-level challenges in Pakistan, including weak governance, inadequate investment in water infrastructure, and social inequalities that hinder equitable water access. While much of the global literature echoes similar patterns, localized studies in districts like Okara remain limited. This review thus identifies critical research gaps and underscores the need for localized empirical investigations to inform sustainable water management and equitable policy interventions in semi-urban and rural regions of Pakistan.