African PHD research students work tirelessly in an effort to improve the quality of Uganda’s water supply. In a collaborative research project the students monitor hand pumps for wear and tear and carry out laboratory testing in an effort to improve the working of mechanical pumps
Science students test the quality of water harvested in schools and local villages and endeavour to improve its quality. The quality of a nations drinking water is strongly linked to the populations health. The incidence of water borne diseases such as malaria can be reduced significantly if a reliable water supply is available. Ground water is is extracted by using a hand pump has traditionally achieved this in developing countries where mains water systems is not installed. Pumps break down on a regular basis and locals frequently revert to using unsafe surface water sources which are more easily available.
Dundalk Institute of Technology [DKIT] is the leading institution for the AMMAZI Bulamu [Water is Life ] project which aims to improve access to clean drinking water in the Makondo district of Uganda
This novel project is a collaborative third level research project funded by Irish Aid/HEA the research is being conducted in partnership with Makerere University Kampala and a host of Irish third level institutions. The local partner NGO is Medical Missionaries of Mary, who have been working in the region for over 40 years. The core work of the project is composed of 8 inter-linked PHD level research projects which aim to understand and propose solutions to the problem of clean water provision.
Importantly the projects are jointly supervised by Irish and Ugandan institutions and have strong community involvement on the ground to maximize their impact.
