ZIMBABWE: Treating Harare's water challenges through environmental health
FEATURE VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHS
As water scarcity increases around the globe, it will and already has begun to have implications on public health of at-risk communities where access to clean water is scarce. In Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare, water availability has steadily been decreasing and the country is expected to suffer water stress by year 2025.
Doctors Without Borders (IMSF)’s environmental health programme in Harare has been running two projects in Harare’s Mbare and Stoneridge suburbs aimed at mitigating water scarcity and protecting water sources by safely disposing of and treating wastewater to allow it to be reused in as a grey water source.
Through rehabilitating existing boreholes by resealing them, drilling new boreholes to reach freshwater sources, and developing wastewater treatment facilities with communities, MSF’s environmental health project in Harare has managed to show that diarrheal disease outbreaks can be prevented by protecting water at the source.
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An old, dysfunctional, borehole is seen in the suburb of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city. Boreholes like these meant that residents often had to walk long distances to reach functional boreholes and access water. With the addition of MSF's new boreholes and solar pumps residents are now able to access clean water much closer to home. Photographer: Dorothy Meck.JPG)
Residents of the suburb of Mbare, in Zimbabwe's capital city of Harare collect water from a water point. The water point is one of many in the city connected to a newly drilled or rehabilitated boreholes providing residents with easy access to clean and reliable water sources. Photographer. Dorothy Meck.JPG)
Residents of Stoneridge, a suburb in Harare, collect water from water points built by MSF's environmental health project. Photographer: Dorothy Meck.JPG)
Residents of Stoneridge, a suburb in Harare, collect water from water points built by MSF's environmental health project. Photographer: Dorothy Meck.JPG)
Residents of the suburb of Mbare, in Zimbabwe's capital city of Harare collect water from a water point. The water point is one of many in the city connected to a newly drilled or rehabilitated boreholes providing residents with easy access to clean and reliable water sources. Photographer. Dorothy Meck.JPG)
Precious Kapeka collects water from a well in Stoneridge. The community has benefitted from MSF installing boreholes and wastewater management system in Stoneridge to prevent bacterial contamination which used to occur as a result of underground septic tanks. Photographer: Dorothy Meck
