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Effects of seasonality on access to improved water in Benue State, Nigeria

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Abstract

Many people switch sources of drinking water and sanitation between seasons, yet such shifts are not reflected in the reporting of access to improved water and sanitation services by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP). Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data collected from urban and rural sites in dry and rainy seasons in Benue state, Nigeria, this study highlights the importance of seasonal variations in water access and quality. Water testing showed that water sources had higher levels of contamination with coliforms, nitrate and chloride in the dry season than the wet season. The contamination of water from these pollutants is above WHO standards and believed to come mainly from pit latrines. Semi-structured interviews revealed that many people who use improved water and sanitation facilities in the rainy season sometimes switch to poorer quality unimproved sources in the dry season. Travel times for collecting water as well as waiting times also significantly increased in the dry season. It is recommended that this important seasonality element is factored into JMP data collection and reporting.

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Notes

  1. WHO/UNICEF (2015) defined ‘improved’ drinking water sources as ‘ones that by the nature of their construction or through active intervention are protected from outside contamination, in particular from contamination with faecal matter’.

  2. WHO/UNICEF (2015) defined an ‘improved’ sanitation facility as ‘one that hygienically separates human excreta from human contact.

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Acknowledgements

This paper draws on data from the lead author’s doctoral research at the University of Nottingham, UK, and we are very grateful to the University of Nottingham for providing funding for this through a Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship for Research Excellence (International). Additional financial support was provided by the School of Geography for fieldwork. We would like to also express our thanks to the research assistants Sekav Tsavwua, Terngu Verkyav and Sughter Hilakaan who helped to collect the well water samples and also to participants in the study area who enthusiastically gave their time to contribute qualitative data for the paper. Thanks, are also due to Elaine Watts and George Swann for producing the maps and Teresa Needham for her support in procuring lab equipment for the fieldwork.

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  1. School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Stephen Chiahemba Aondoakaa & Sarah Jewitt

  2. Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria

    Stephen Chiahemba Aondoakaa

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  1. Stephen Chiahemba Aondoakaa
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Correspondence to Stephen Chiahemba Aondoakaa.

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Aondoakaa, S.C., Jewitt, S. Effects of seasonality on access to improved water in Benue State, Nigeria. Environ Monit Assess 194, 40 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09454-8

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