“I Never Don’t Have Water Because I Collect Rainwater”: Domains of Water Insecurity and Their Sociocultural Correlates in an Indigenous Community of Northern Argentina

The lifestyles and worldviews of indigenous communities have long been deeply intertwined with natural resources, particularly water. These vital resources are now severely threatened by systemic social marginalization and the enduring impacts of colonization, further violating the human right to water access. Our primary objective was to assess the domains and correlates of water insecurity in a Pilagá community in Formosa, Argentina. This sequential exploratory mixed-methods cross-sectional study, conducted in 2023, involved data collection from Pilagá households representing 59 family clusters, covering all family units in the community. We used a prevalidated Household Water Insecurity Experience survey. Qualitative data were gathered through semistructured interviews and participant observation. The average age of participants was 36.8 ± 12.7 y, with most being women, who primarily handled the task of fetching water. Water insecurity was prevalent, affecting 62% of households, most of which depended on well pumps. The most serious concern associated with water was the lack of long-term stability. Through an ecologic model, we identified multiple interrelated contextual variables, revealing that shifts in one area (geographic, capitalistic market, water policies, and infrastructure policies) had ripple effects across others. Key correlates included water sources, cultural perceptions of water, resource distribution, and social dynamics around water. The Pilagá community confronts pervasive water insecurity within a challenging and evolving socioecologic landscape.