THE WATER QUESTION UNDER EXTREME POVERTY

THE EXAMPLE OF BOLAMA, GUINEA-BISSAU

Adriano A. Bordalo & Joana Savva-Bordalo
 GUINEA-BISSAU

28,000 km2 land area

(32,000 km2)
Tropical rain forest (85%)
Wet - June to November
Dry - December to May

1,600,00 inhabitants
AIDS - 7% [30%]
GDP - $188

13.6% “potable” water

Cholera
Diarrheas
Malaria
Respiratory diseases
WATER CONSUMPTION PER PERSON

EUROPE - 150 liters

WATER CONSUMPTION PER PERSON

AFRICA - 50 liters
 WATER CONSUMPTION PER PERSON

AFRICA - 50 liters

RURAL POPULATION URBAN POPULATION

network network

52 L 72 L
WATER USES
THE ORIGIN OF WATER
THE ORIGIN OF WATER
WATER CONSTRAINS
WATER CONSTRAINS
WATER CONSTRAINS
WATER CONSTRAINS
WATER CONSUMPTION

21 liters
40 liters (Muslim areas)
 RATIONALE

• Seasonal water quality

• Disease

• Sustainable measures
SAMPLING STRATEGY

28 - 43 wells
 PRECIPITATION

1998 - 2007
Bolama precipitation (1998-2007)

600

500

400

mm
300

200

100

0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
 PRECIPITATION

1998 - 2007
Bolama precipitation (1998-2007)

600

500

400

mm
300

200

100

0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month

900 Bolama - Precipitation

800
2007
700 2006
2005
600 2004
2003
500
2002
mm
400 2001
2000
300 1999
1998
200

100

0
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Month
 WATER ACIDITY

wet season

dry season
EU
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

pH
FECAL CONTAMINATION

EU
wet season

dry season

0 25 50 75 100 125
fecal coliforms 100 ml-1
 IRON

wet season
EU
dry season

0 50 100 150 200 250

µg l-1
 FECAL COLIFORMS

uncontaminated zone
 WATER QUALITY INDEX

50-60% - reasonable
40-50% - mediocre
<40% - bad
WATER NETWORK?
 PRECIPITATION & DISEASE

Bolama 2006/07

400 Patients 600

Precipitation
350
500
300
400
250

200 300
No patients
150 Precipit
200
100
100
50

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
2006 2007
 PRECIPITATION & DISEASE

50 Intestinal 600
Precipitation
45
500
40

35
400
30

25 300
No patients
20
Prec
200
15

10
100
5

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
2006 2007
 CHILD MORTALITY

Malaria 35%
Respiratory infections 15%
Diarrhea 15%

UNDP, 2002
CHOLERA EPIDEMICS

1986, 1987,
1994, 1996, 1997,
2002, 2003, 2005

2008
 SOLUTIONS

PROBLEM

Acidic water 400 g of oyster shells

8.0

7.0 EU
6.0
pH
5.0

4.0

3.0
23:32 0:32 1:32 2:32 3:32 4:32 5:32 6:32 7:32 8:32 9:32
Time (UTC)
 SOLUTIONS

PROBLEM

Fecal materials 1 drop bleach in one liter of water

14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000 EU
Fecal coliforms (cfu 100 ml-1)
0
0 20 40 60 80
Time (minutes)
 MORE SOLUTIONS

wells
X 
 MORE SOLUTIONS

latrines X 
 acknowledgments

AMI - International Medical Assistance

Portuguese Embassy - Bissau
AIDA - Spanish Cooperation
Bolama Regional Health Authority
ICBAS - University of Porto
IPO - Porto