Exploring the Spatial Dimensions of Public Health Survey helps improve access to clean water in sub-Saharan Africa By Susan Harp, Esri Writer Clean drinking water is hard to find in Mayange, Rwanda. That's why a group of university students and two professors from the University of Redlands (U of R) in California traveled there. Using the GIS technology and GPS equipment they brought along, they mapped the area's water sources and collected water use information. Their survey will help improve access to clean drinking water in Mayange and in similar communities across sub-Saharan Africa. The maps will provide local sustainable development programs with accurate information on where people get their water. For example, the data can be used to identify areas where water sources are contaminated and support decisions about improving water quality such as how to protect an open pit water source or where to dig a new water source. Ultimately, this field collection and mapping model may be used for mapping other water networks in Rwanda and parts of Africa and contribute to the implementation of sustainable practices in impoverished nations. "Anything that we can do to improve water quality is going to have a major impact on the population," said Max Baber, Ph.D., associate professor in the master of science in Geographic Information Science program at the U of R. Baber and Katherine Noble-Goodman, a visiting lecturer in environmental studies at the university, led U of R undergraduate environmental studies students to the rural Mayange sector in 2008 and 2009. Professor Max Baber enters information into a computer as local residents in Mayange sector, Rwanda, add their knowledge of local features to paper maps of the area. In the bigger picture, the project contributes to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)—an ambitious plan that pledges to eliminate extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. Representatives from 192 United Nations (UN) member states signed on to the MDG commitment to reduce poverty by improving health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. Access to clean drinking water plays an important part in supporting these goals. MDG aims to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Some progress has been made in advancing MDG goals, but in sub-Saharan Africa, improvements have advanced more slowly than in other parts of the world. As a result, the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) was established to create a successful model in Africa for alleviating poverty using a set of "Anything that we can do to improve water quality is going to have a major impact on the population." Max Baber Ph.D., associate professor in GIS integrated, community-driven activities. Mayange, with a sector population of 25,000, is one of 80 communities spread across 10 African countries that are participating in MVP. Located in one of the poorest regions in Rwanda, the area is almost completely deforested and receives 800 millimeters (about 31.5 inches) of intermittent annual rainfall. As in many other rural African areas, Mayange villagers spend hours each day retrieving water their families need to survive. Often the water source is contaminated. This can cause health problems. The time-consuming process of obtaining water also diverts efforts from activities crucial to sustainable development such as education and farming. "Clean, reliable sources of water for drinking, cooking, and other basic human needs are a necessary condition for the elimination of poverty and the success of sustainable development," said Noble-Goodman. In Rwanda, more than 25 percent of the population lacks access to clean water. www.esri.com Students mapping the location of a shallow well in Mayange sector, Rwanda, consult with local residents to gather additional information about well usage. 62 ArcUser Winter 2010