01635nas a2200169   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653000900058653002100067100001900088700001500107245008000122300001100202490000700213520123100220022001401451       2021                            d  bElsevier BV10aWASH10aWater insecurity1 aKangmennaang J1 aElliott SJ00aLinking water (in)security and wellbeing in low-and middle-income countries  a1000890 v133 aDespite the centrality of water for human wellbeing and prosperity, researchers and practitioners have few tools to conceptualize, quantitatively measure, and assess any relationships between water security and overall wellbeing. There is substantial evidence showing well-established connections between water insecurity and dimensions of wellbeing including psychosocial health, physical health, personal beliefs, social relationships and human-environment interactions, however, we do not yet fully understand how water insecurity impacts overall wellbeing. Water related emotional distress is often used as a proxy for wellbeing, however, there are multiple definitions and measurements of emotional distress and wellbeing, and the analytical tools for measuring emotional distress and wellbeing are in their infancy. We examined how water insecurity is linked to emotional distress and wellbeing, and the associated pathways and to advance connections between water insecurity and population wellbeing. Conceptualizing, measuring and tracking the effect of water insecurity on overall wellbeing may provide better measures of the holistic effect of water security and provide better metrics for water projects evaluation.  a2468-3124