Contextually drilling with geology and local capacity a study of the train-the-trainer model's impact on manual borehole implementation

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are fundamental human rights recognized by the United Nations. However, many developed countries have achieved this ideal but millions of people around the world, especially in rural areas, still lack access to clean water due to various challenges. In Benin, Africa, there are increasing populations, surface water contamination issues, and declining rainfall all of which have decreased surface and groundwater resources in the region, driving the need for alternatives to meet the growing water demand. This study focuses on understanding the potential of manual drilling methods as a cost-effective solution to expand groundwater extraction and contribute to the demand of potable water. This project seeks to show the benefits of a sociotechnical approach in a manual borehole drilling project that combines education and co-implementation to develop a more successful project. In addition, geoscientific applications are integrated to inform drilling methods and site selection to reduce the uncertainty of the subsurface. Educational objectives include presenting best practices of manual wellbore drilling projects and community development practices to provide a framework for developing manual borehole drilling water projects. To better manual borehole drilling education implementation, this study evaluates the impact of a train-the-trainer model integrated with Humanitarian Engineering and Science themes through a case study description and analysis. The expected outcome is to provide a better understanding of how focusing on education, and co-implementation can aid water relief projects and promote self-reliance on water resources.