By Astrid Helene Mortensen, AAU Communications and Public Affairs
Photo: Aalborg University

Challenges with Water Supply in Uganda 
Like Denmark, Uganda has plenty of water, but access to clean drinking water is limited due to social, economic, and environmental factors. Water is often sourced from surface water or shallow groundwater, both of which are unprotected from contamination by nearby agriculture or human activities. According to UNICEF and WHO, only about 58% of the population in Uganda has access to basic water supply.

Students' Efforts for Clean Water 
10 students from the 7th semester of the Water and Environment program at the Department of the Built Environment (BUILD) have worked together with Ugandan students to find solutions to this problem.

Their efforts include:

• Collecting water and soil samples to analyze pollution levels.
• Developing models that show how pollution moves through the soil.
• Proposing solutions to protect drinking water sources from contamination.

The results help local authorities protect wells and boreholes from contamination, which in the long run means fewer waterborne diseases like typhoid and malaria for the local population. At the same time, the students have gained valuable experience working with sustainable solutions.

Field Studies in Arua 
The students have taken water and soil samples from various active water sources in the West Nile region, such as boreholes, wells, and natural water sources. They are investigating pollution levels and soil physical conditions to develop models for calculating the transport of groundwater and pollution components in the soil. The field studies are part of their semester project focusing on soil and groundwater contamination.

Significance of the Studies 
The students' studies contribute to identifying the local challenges with drinking water quality in the area around Arua. The studies aim to highlight the risk of metal release (e.g., carcinogenic arsenic) from the soil and the mobility of bacterial contamination. This knowledge can be used to identify how large areas around the water sources need to be protected from human activities, such as latrines. Areas outside the cities lack basic sanitary conditions, and the population primarily uses latrines, which poses a significant risk of contaminating the water sources.

Visit from Ugandan Students
The project is part of a two-year collaboration between BUILD and Muni University in Uganda. It is supported by the GLOBUS fund, which is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 2025, the Ugandan students will visit BUILD as part of the collaboration.