Abstract
Access to potable water remains challenging around the world and remains one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Barriers to clean water access are exacerbated by the lack of technical expertise, limited funding for education and training, and the absence of reliable infrastructure that provides access to clean water. The Geoscientists Without Borders program, supported FHSU with funding to test, explore and provide access to clean potable groundwater to a rural community in Cameroon. We conducted water quality analyses, identified, mapped and located deep aquifers in fractured metamorphic rocks. Water quality analyses showed acidic pH and elevated amounts of contaminants such as nitrates, sulfates, zinc, and arsenic in existing wells particularly in higher population areas. A 3-D electrical resistivity survey was used to map, identify and locate deeper clean groundwater aquifers in the fracture zones of crystalline rocks. We drilled and constructed a water supply system and designed a sustainability program and trained the community. We coordinated and organized outreach events with the community and developed a community-led sustainability program for water infrastructure management. During the project we trained more than fifty students and citizen scientists in geochemical, structural and geophysical field techniques, and empowered citizens to manage and maintain their facility.
Department/Program
Geosciences
Submission Type
in-person poster
Date
4-12-2026
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Ali, Hendratta Dr
(2026)
"Using Geoscience to Empower a Community and Provide Access to Potable Groundwater,"
SACAD: Scholarly Activities: Vol. 2026, Article 94.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2026/iss2026/94
Included in
Geological Engineering Commons, Hydrology Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Sustainability Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
