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<p>Although Jamaica meets UN benchmarks for potable water and sanitation (W.A.S.H) access, disparities in quality and access remain. Moreover, public discourse and scholarship on W.A.S.H. in the island often overlook the role of “race” in structuring patterns of unequal access. Using nationally representative data from the 2010–2018/19 AmericasBarometer, this study examines whether disparities in household access to W.A.S.H. are structured along “racial” lines and test whether these inequalities differ before and after Jamaica’s adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. To conduct this analysis, we employ a multidimensional approach to capture “race,” measured by self-identification and interviewer-rated skin color. Findings reveal that while both measures are associated with W.A.S.H. access, skin color is the more consistent and robust predictor. Darker-skinned individuals experience persistent disadvantages, even after accounting for urbanization and other sociodemographic characteristics. While color-based disparities lessened following SDG adoption—particularly in access to sanitation—“racial” inequities persist. This study contributes to the literature on W.A.S.H. and racial inequality by (1) providing a temporal analysis of “racial” stratification in access to basic services, (2) demonstrating the value of a multidimensional approach to measuring “race,” (3) revealing the limitations of global development agendas in addressing entrenched racialized hierarchies in postcolonial contexts, and (4) highlighting the importance of “race” in understanding global environmental injustices, even within seemingly homogeneous societies.</p>

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“Racial” Disparities in Access to Water and Sanitation in Jamaica

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月14日

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  • Monique D. A. Kelly,
  • Tiffany M. Williams,
  • Angélica De Jesús,
  • Jennifer S. Carerra,
  • Stephen P. Gasteyer

摘要

Although Jamaica meets UN benchmarks for potable water and sanitation (W.A.S.H) access, disparities in quality and access remain. Moreover, public discourse and scholarship on W.A.S.H. in the island often overlook the role of “race” in structuring patterns of unequal access. Using nationally representative data from the 2010–2018/19 AmericasBarometer, this study examines whether disparities in household access to W.A.S.H. are structured along “racial” lines and test whether these inequalities differ before and after Jamaica’s adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. To conduct this analysis, we employ a multidimensional approach to capture “race,” measured by self-identification and interviewer-rated skin color. Findings reveal that while both measures are associated with W.A.S.H. access, skin color is the more consistent and robust predictor. Darker-skinned individuals experience persistent disadvantages, even after accounting for urbanization and other sociodemographic characteristics. While color-based disparities lessened following SDG adoption—particularly in access to sanitation—“racial” inequities persist. This study contributes to the literature on W.A.S.H. and racial inequality by (1) providing a temporal analysis of “racial” stratification in access to basic services, (2) demonstrating the value of a multidimensional approach to measuring “race,” (3) revealing the limitations of global development agendas in addressing entrenched racialized hierarchies in postcolonial contexts, and (4) highlighting the importance of “race” in understanding global environmental injustices, even within seemingly homogeneous societies.