Water-caste-gender-tourism nexus in Bodh Gaya, India: assessing water inequalities using urban political ecology framework

Ritika Rajput () and Jian Pu ()
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Ritika Rajput: United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
Jian Pu: United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)

Sustainability Nexus Forum, 2025, vol. 33, issue 1, No 9, 17 pages

Abstract: Abstract Framed within urban political ecology, this study presents an analysis of the water–caste–gender–tourism nexus in Bodh Gaya, a small touristic town in India. It examines the interlinked dynamics of the nexus through a mixed-method approach including household surveys (n = 107) and semi-structured interviews (n = 25). By analyzing the synergies and trade-offs, we find that structural inequalities, particularly those based on caste and gender, significantly influence access to water and sanitation as well as a household’s ability to benefit from tourism. Rather than promoting inclusive development, tourism has reproduced and further aggravated pre-existing inequalities in water access for marginalized castes. The lack of an operational wastewater management system poses significant public health risks for residents. This study offers a critical contribution to the growing body of literature on the political ecology of caste, gender, and tourism, emphasizing their intersectional dimensions.

Keywords: Water; Caste; Gender; Tourism; Inequality; Nexus; Urban political ecology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s00550-025-00567-z

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