10.2.3  The impact of floods on WASH in Ethiopia

Floods often cause major damage to basic facilities such as water supplies, sanitation, waste disposal systems and other essential services. This poses a serious challenge to public health. Excessive rain and flooding can create conditions that increase the spread of faecal-oral diseases because flood waters flush pathogens and pollutants into water supplies from flooded latrines and places used for open defecation.

As well as polluting water sources, floods also can damage shallow wells, boreholes fitted with windmills, and protected springs, and they can wash away water pipes (Ethiopia Red Cross/Red Crescent, 2005). The result is that people are unable to access safe drinking water unless temporary water supplies can be provided (Figure 10.4).

Figure 10.4  Children fetch water from a water point constructed after flooding by the Lutheran World Federations.