IWMI WORKING PAPER 136 Health Impacts of Small Reservoirs in Burkina Faso Eline Boelee, Philippe Cecchi and André Koné International Water Management Institute Working Papers The publications in this series record the work and thinking of IWMI researchers, and knowledge that the Institute’s scientific management feels is worthy of documenting. This series will ensure that scientific data and other information gathered or prepared as a part of the research work of the Institute are recorded and referenced. Working Papers could include project reports, case studies, conference or workshop proceedings, discussion papers or reports on progress of research, country-specific research reports, monographs, etc. Working Papers may be copublished, by IWMI and partner organizations. Although most of the reports are published by IWMI staff and their collaborators, we welcome contributions from others. Each report is reviewed internally by IWMI staff. The reports are published and distributed both in hard copy and electronically (www.iwmi.org) and where possible all data and analyses will be available as separate downloadable files. Reports may be copied freely and cited with due acknowledgment. About IWMI IWMI’s mission is to improve the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment. In serving this mission, IWMI concentrates on the integration of policies, technologies and management systems to achieve workable solutions to real problems—practical, relevant results in the field of irrigation and water and land resources. IWMI Working Paper 136 Health Impacts of Small Reservoirs in Burkina Faso Eline Boelee Philippe Cecchi and André Koné International Water Management Institute The authors: Eline Boelee is a Health and Irrigation Specialist at the regional office for East Africa and Nile Basin of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Philippe Cecchi is an Aquatic Ecology Researcher and specialist of West African small reservoirs at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Marseille, France. André Koné is a Medical Geographer at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Boelee, E.; Cecchi, P.; Kone, A. 2009. Health impacts of small reservoirs in Burkina Faso. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute. 50p. (IWMI Working Paper 136). doi:10.3910/2009.202 / reservoirs / health hazards / river basins / water resources development / environmental effects / waterborne diseases / malaria / schistosomiasis / control methods / water policy / Burkina Faso / West Africa / ISSN 2012-5763 ISBN 978-92-9090-717-6 Copyright © 2009, by IWMI. All rights reserved. IWMI encourages the use of its material provided that the organization is acknowledged and kept informed in all such instances. Please direct inquiries and comments to: [email protected] A free copy of this publication can be downloaded at www.iwmi.org/Publications/Working_Papers/index.aspx ii Acknowledgements This study has benefited from the facilities and support provided by Research Unit 167 of the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and by their Delegation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The authors wish to personally thank Matthew McCartney, for writing the first version of the summary of the paper, and Hugh Turral, Marc Andreini, Pay Drechsel, and the late Felix Amerasinghe, all at the International Water Management Institute, for providing valuable comments on earlier versions of this paper. Project This research study was part of the collaborative program on “Investments in Agricultural Water Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Diagnosis of Trends and Opportunities” and of the research project “Planning and Evaluating Ensembles of Small, Multi-purpose Reservoirs for the Improvement of Smallholder Livelihoods and Food Security: Tools and Procedures” (Small Reservoirs Project [SRP]) under the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) and the “Cyanobacteria, Role and Control” Research Unit (N°167) of IRD in Burkina Faso. Partners This study is a collaboration of the following organizations: International Water Management Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Marseille, France. Donors The study was funded by the African Development Bank through the collaborative program on “Investments in Agricultural Water Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Diagnosis of Trends and Opportunities” and the German Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF) through the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF project number 46, “Planning and Evaluating Ensembles of Small, Multi-purpose Reservoirs for the Improvement of Smallholder Livelihoods and Food Security: Tools and Procedures” (Small Reservoirs Project [SRP]). iii iv Contents Tables ............................................................................................................................ vi Figures ............................................................................................................................ vi Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................... vii Summary ............................................................................................................................ ix Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Small Reservoirs in West Africa .......................................................................................... 1 Health Impacts ...................................................................................................................... 1 Small Reservoirs in Burkina Faso .............................................................................................. 4 Water Resources ................................................................................................................... 4 Water Resources Development ............................................................................................. 6 Water Policy .......................................................................................................................... 8 Characteristics of Small Reservoirs ..................................................................................... 9 Specific Health Impacts of Small Reservoirs in Burkina Faso ................................................ 12 Environmental Impacts ....................................................................................................... 12 Schistosomiasis ................................................................................................................... 13 Malaria ........................................................................................................................... 18 Other Vector-borne Diseases ............................................................................................... 21 Drinking from the Reservoirs and Waterborne Diseases ................................................... 22 Nutritional Impacts .............................................................................................................23 Managing the Threats: Options for Disease Reduction ............................................................ 25 Schistosomiasis Control ...................................................................................................... 25 Malaria Control .................................................................................................................. 26 Corrective and Preventive Action at Small Reservoirs ...................................................... 27 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 30 References ........................................................................................................................... 31 v Tables 1. Main climatic zones in Burkina Faso (FAO 1996). ............................................................. 5 2. Some data on major river basins in Burkina Faso (DGIRH 2001)..................................... 6 3. Major water uses in Burkina Faso (DGIRH 2001). ............................................................ 7 4. Dynamics of land use around the Yitenga Dam between 1979 and 2001 (Yonkeu 2002)..................................................................................................................... 13 5. Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis (in %) in three villages in Burkina Faso (Villenave 1985). ................................................................................................................. 18 Figures 1. River basins in Burkina Faso (Koné and Boelee, after Ministère de l’Eau 1989, 1991; Nébié 1984). ..................................................................................................... 4 2. Water requirements for irrigation in Burkina Faso (Koné and Boelee, after DGIRH 2000b). 7 3. Water requirements for livestock in Burkina Faso (Koné and Boelee, after DGIRH 2000b). .. 8 4. Rate of implementation of small dams in Burkina Faso over time (DGIRH 2001). ........ 10 5. Climatic zones and subzones with average schistosomiasis prevalence in villages with small reservoirs (Koné and Boelee, after Poda 1996 and DGIRH 2001). ................ 14 6. Mean prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis