Water in Cape Verde

Shortage of Drinking Water

It is a fact that there is a shortage of drinking water in Cape Verde and it is a omnipresent threat against the real economic development of the country in short, but more so, in medium and long terms. Above all, evidently, it is a shortage of an essential consumable, which, especially in the 21st century, should be enjoyed with proper abundance by each and every individual in the country, without exceptions.

That shortage is a result of an austere climate, characterized by a very short period of precipitation and other highly unfavourable natural conditions.

As far as measures taken by the Government are concerned, in order to reverse the shortage, it has to be recognized that there has been a formidable effort made towards finding viable solutions – at least judging by the money invested in the water sector, of over one billion Cape Verde's escudos (9.1 million Euros), in the last fiver years alone, according to the country's Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture (Ministério do Ambiente e Agricultura – MAA). It should also be stated as a generally recognized fact, at this point, that the progress regarding the development of infrastructures in the water sector is found to be quite advanced, when compared to the majority of other African countries.

No one can disagree that the successive Governments of Cape Verde have always tried to prioritize, since very early, the development of the water sector towards the total supply of drinking water to the population in enough quantity as to satisfy the basic needs of each and every household – as highlighted by an official notice issued by the MAA celebrating the World Water Day (22nd March 2007).

There is no doubt that there has been progress, which is reflected, once more, in recent statistics, divulged by the country's National Institute of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estatística – INE). Those statistics indicate that, in 2006, circa three quarters of all the families in Cape Verde had a source of drinking water available at less than 15 minutes distance from their homes and that, overall, 92 people from 100 of all the population had a source of drinking water at less than 30 minutes distance from their home. In short, since the independence of Cape Verde from Portugal in July 1975, significant steps have been taken towards reaching an abundant supply of clean, drinking water to the population and the increase of water availability for agriculture purposes through the introduction of new technologies of irrigation. The figures also show that 77% of families living in rural areas have access to drinking water.

However, progress should not and cannot slow down, only because a few milestones have been achieved, as there is still lack of drinking water supply to the totality of the country's population. It is still an unfinished process, which affects severely 15% of the families in Cape Verde. According to the MAA, [only] 85% of all the families in the country have access to drinking water, leaving 15% without it – a considerable number. Without wishing to obliterate the merit of the achieved success, it also important to highlight the fact that the aforementioned drinking water sources are in their majority, public fountains and not piped water directly supplied to homes, which exists but it is minimal.

Under scrutiny, when analyzing specific cases, it is clear that the whole matter is far from being solved, thus being necessary more determination and resolve in order to, literally, quench the thirst of all the population of Cape Verde. For example, the Cape Verde's National Committee for Human Rights (Comité Nacional para os Direitos do Homem) has released in an official report the following recent findings in the Island of Santo Antão:

• 50.2% of the population gets drinking water from public fountains.
• Only 18.2% has piped water directly supplied into their homes.
• 66.1% of the population still has to disinfect the available water with “javel water” (a kind of bleach).
• 68.8% of the population does not have bathrooms and toilets.

Considering the percentages mentioned above, it is easy to realize that there are still many objectives to reach and too much work to be done, even without forgetting the success previously achieved. Also, as the imputed responsibilities of any public office (whether obtain by suffrage or contracted by those elected) should never become complacent, new objectives towards effective development of the country must always emerge.

Even though the inquest undertaken by the INE reveals that Cape Verde has already achieved the 7th Objective imposed by the Millennium Challenge Account, regarding to the access of drinking water by the population, considering the starting point based on the African Countries average, it cannot be ignored that over 100,000 human beings (15% of the households in the country) – not just numbers – still do not have access to clean drinking water.

Sustainable Development

There are natural structures, which can be easily adapted towards an effective and sustainable utilization of natural resources for Human benefit. Specifically, in relation to the shortage of drinking water, we must mention the hydrographic basins – “physiographic units, limited by topographic divisors, which gathers precipitation, acting as a water reservoir and sediments…”- which are made available to us by Nature itself.

ARPS World is aware of the studies and intelligent planning of the Government, even though without any official confirmation, for the utilization of hydrographic basins, namely in Santo Antão. Following soil conservation and water mobilization works already initiated in the hydrographic basins of Picos and Engenhos, in the interior of the Island of Santiago, it seems that there are projects and public bids about to be launched by the Millennium Challenge Account for works in the hydrographic basins in the Paúl Valley and Porto Novo, in Santo Antão.

Considering the necessity for those works to be launched as soon as possible, because delayed solutions just prolong the problem, ARPS World would be immensely happy in collaborating directly towards reaching those objectives in the island of Santo Antão, if wanted and allowed by the competent authorities/entities.

More specifically, ARPS World has been studying the Lagoa, in Santo Antão, as a place perfectly adequate for the construction of a water reservoir, utilizing the natural topographic characteristics of what it seems to be yet another hydrographic basin of enormous dimensions. At the moment, ARPS World is still studying in detail the viability of such project, but the preliminary conclusion and determination in going forward is already firm, depending now of the willingness, evaluation and cooperation of the competent Governmental entities.

Water Reservoir in Essex, England. A natural hydrographic basin with the assistance of Man, and we have a large depository of rainfall, ready for use.

The beginnings: How a reservoir to collect and store rainfall is made.