Improving access to safe drinking water in rural, remote, and least-wealthy small islands: Non-traditional methods in Chuuk State, Federal States of Micronesia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2009

Publication Title

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management

Volume

10

Issue

2

Abstract

Western Pacific small island rural communities suffer from waterborne diseases and are among the least wealthy, most remote and resource-poor across the globe. Small landmasses, geologic composition, geographic isolation, a colonial history, and weak educational, technological and financial resources constitute significant barriers to strengthening capacity to access safe drinking water. High-technology, high-cost and complex Northern (Western) models for mitigating water access problems often prove inappropriate and unsustainable. The aim of this paper is to offer a non-traditional approach for improving both sub-national environmental analysis capacity and engaging in low-technology and low-cost mitigation of vulnerability to waterborne disease at the village-scale. The approach involves a combination of techniques, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training, basin management, environmental health education at the grassroots scale and working with civil society to support appropriate technologies. The findings improve understanding of remote, rural and least-wealthy small island conditions, offer guidance regarding environmental management in the Western Pacific, and provide insight for developing outreach programmes with the aim of improving conditions on similar islands globally.

Keywords

Appropriate technology; Chuuk state; Clean water; Developing countries; Drinking water; Environmental education; Environmental health; FSM; Geographic information systems; GIS training; Micronesia (Federated States) – Chuuk; Participatory watershed management; Safe water; Small islands; Third world; Water access; Water quality; Waterborne diseases; Waterborne infection; Watersheds – Management; Western Pacific

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences | Growth and Development | International Economics | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Other International and Area Studies | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Water Resource Management

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited

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