Abstract
In the town of Bebnine (population approximately 16,000) in northern Lebanon, a team of researchers from the American University of Beirut and local residents worked together on a community-based research project that used an ecosystem approach to better understand the links between people, water, and health (Forget and Lebel 2001; Lebel 2003). Initially, the study focused on the impact of polluted irrigation water and the use of agrochemicals on the quality of local produce. However, preliminary meetings with key community stakeholders unearthed community concerns about the apparently high rate of occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases among Bebnine residents. This more urgent issue led to a shift in project scope to align better with community priorities and address the relationship between drinking water quality and community health and well-being. The results of the work guided the development and setup of community-based short- and medium-term interventions to alleviate the effects of water-related health problems.
*On behalf of the Bebnine Research Team.
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Acknowledgments
I thank my fellow research team members from the American University of Beirut, Iman Nuwayhid, Mutasem El-Fadel, Rami Zurayk, Dima Jamali, Mona Haidar, Hind Farah, Grace El-Azar, and Safa Hojeij, and the project’s Advisory Committee members. The contributions of the community of Bebnine, the mayor and the elected municipal council, school directors, women’s associations, and directors of health care centres were also very important. IDRC support was provided through project 101815.
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© 2012 International Development Research Centre
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Habib, R.R. (2012). Understanding Water, Understanding Health: The Case of Bebnine, Lebanon. In: Charron, D. (eds) Ecohealth Research in Practice. Insight and Innovation in International Development, vol 1. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0517-7_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0517-7_19
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