HR: 0800h
AN: H31B-1306    [Abstracts]
TI: Village-Level Identification of Nitrate Sources: Collaboration of Experts and Local Population in Benin, Africa
AU: * Crane, P
EM: pcrane@nd.edu
AF: Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 United States
AU: Silliman, S E
EM: silliman.1@nd.edu
AF: Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 United States
AU: Boukari, M
EM: mboukari@bj.refer.org
AF: Department des Sciences de la Terre, Universite d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, BP526 Benin
AU: Atoro, I
EM: mboukari@bj.refer.org
AF: Department des Sciences de la Terre, Universite d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, BP526 Benin
AU: Azonsi, F
H31B-1306 AF: Direction de l'Hydraulique, Cotonou, Cotonou, BP526 Benin
AB: Deteriorating groundwater quality, as represented by high nitrates, in the Colline province of Benin, West Africa was identified by the Benin national water agency, Direction Hydraulique. For unknown reasons the Colline province had consistently higher nitrate levels than any other region of the country. In an effort to address this water quality issue, a collaborative team was created that incorporated professionals from the Universit‚ d'Abomey-Calavi (Benin), the University of Notre Dame (USA), Direction l'Hydraulique (a government water agency in Benin), Centre Afrika Obota (an educational NGO in Benin), and the local population of the village of Adour‚koman. The goals of the project were to: (i) identify the source of nitrates, (ii) test field techniques for long term, local monitoring, and (iii) identify possible solutions to the high levels of groundwater nitrates. In order to accomplish these goals, the following methods were utilized: regional sampling of groundwater quality, field methods that allowed the local population to regularly monitor village groundwater quality, isotopic analysis, and sociological methods of surveys, focus groups, and observations. It is through the combination of these multi-disciplinary methods that all three goals were successfully addressed leading to preliminary identification of the sources of nitrates in the village of Adour‚koman, confirmation of utility of field techniques, and initial assessment of possible solutions to the contamination problem.
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1831 Groundwater quality
DE: 1834 Human impacts
DE: 1880 Water management (6334)
DE: 9305 Africa
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005