Natural Disasters’ Impact on Water Quality and Public Health: A Case Study of the Cyclonic Season (2019

Natural Disasters’ Impact on Water Quality and Public Health: A Case Study of the Cyclonic Season (2019–2023)

Published:2024-04-30 Issue:2 Volume:4 Page:212-230
ISSN:2673-4672
Container-title:Pollutants
language:en
Short-container-title:Pollutants

Author:

Chilaule Sérgio Mateus¹²^ORCID,Macuacua Xadreque Vitorino³,Mabica Alfredo Pedro⁴^ORCID,Miranda Nelson Alexandre⁵,Pereira Henrique dos Santos³^ORCID,Gudo Eduardo Samo⁶^ORCID,Marrufo Tatiana⁶^ORCID,García-López Santiago⁷^ORCID,Lopes Myriam¹^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

2. Water Research Institute, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, 770 Av. Patrice Lumumba, Maputo 1100, Mozambique

3. Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Av. General Rodrigo Octávio Jordão Ramos, 1200-Coroado I, Manaus 69067-005, AM, Brazil

4. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Pedagogical University of Maputo, Av. de Trabalho Nr.2482, 4040, Campus de Lhanguene, Maputo 1100, Mozambique

5. Regional Water Administration–Centre (ARA-Centro), Estrada Nacional nº7, 67, Cidade de Tete 2300, Mozambique

6. National Health Institute (INS), Estrada Nacional N1, Bairro da Vila, Parcela nº3943, 0205-02, Distrito de Marracuene 1120, Mozambique

7. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain

Abstract

The impact of climate change has made weather events more extreme, unpredictable and frequent. In the last 4 years, Mozambique has been devastated by 8 major cyclones, resulting in material and human damage and affecting the functioning of basic local services, such as in the water and health sectors. In this study, we explored the environmental components of the climate–water quality–disease relationship that could drive the dynamics of waterborne diseases. Statistical models and geospatial information technologies (GITs) were used to analyse water quality and the relationship with waterborne diseases between 2016 and 2023. Results indicate that water quality is the main element, between precipitation natural disasters and waterborne diseases, on which a relevant public health intervention can act to ameliorate the future negative impacts of climate change and disease incidence. The results of this study also showed that the quality of water affected mainly by heavy rain events varies in different regions and in different seasons.

Funder

FCT/MCTES

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de nível Superior

Publisher

MDPI AG

Link

https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4672/4/2/14/pdf

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