| Title |
Community exposure and vulnerability to water quality and availability: a case study in the mining-affected Pazña Municipality, Lake Poopó Basin, Bolivian Altiplano
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Environmental Management, June 2017
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00267-017-0893-5 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Megan French, Natalie Alem, Stephen J. Edwards, Efraín Blanco Coariti, Helga Cauthin, Karen A. Hudson-Edwards, Karen Luyckx, Jorge Quintanilla, Oscar Sánchez Miranda |
| Abstract |
Assessing water sources for drinking and irrigation along with community vulnerability, especially in developing and rural regions, is important for reducing risk posed by poor water quality and limited water availability and accessibility. We present a case study of rural mining-agricultural communities in the Lake Poopó Basin, one of the poorest regions on the Bolivian Altiplano. Here, relatively low rainfall, high evaporation, salinization and unregulated mining activity have contributed to environmental degradation and water issues, which is a situation facing many Altiplano communities. Social data from 72 households and chemical water quality data from 27 surface water and groundwater sites obtained between August 2013 and July 2014 were used to develop locally relevant vulnerability assessment methodologies and ratings with respect to water availability and quality, and Chemical Water Quality Hazard Ratings to assess water quality status. Levels of natural and mining-related contamination in many waters (CWQHR ≥ 6; 78% of assessed sites) mean that effective remediation would be challenging and require substantial investment. Although waters of fair to good chemical quality (CWQHR ≤ 5; 22% of assessed sites) do exist, treatment may still be required depending on use, and access issues remain problematic. There is a need to comply with water quality legislation, improve and maintain basic water supply and storage infrastructure, build and operate water and wastewater treatment plants, and adequately and safely contain and treat mine waste. This study serves as a framework that could be used elsewhere for assessing and mitigating water contamination and availability affecting vulnerable populations. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 3 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 2 | 67% |
| Unknown | 1 | 33% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 3 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 128 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 128 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Master | 21 | 16% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 18 | 14% |
| Student > Bachelor | 16 | 13% |
| Researcher | 9 | 7% |
| Lecturer | 6 | 5% |
| Other | 19 | 15% |
| Unknown | 39 | 30% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science | 18 | 14% |
| Engineering | 13 | 10% |
| Social Sciences | 12 | 9% |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 10 | 8% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 7 | 5% |
| Other | 29 | 23% |
| Unknown | 39 | 30% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 22 March 2022.
All research outputs
#15,989,045
of 25,382,440 outputs
Outputs from Environmental Management
#1,403
of 1,914 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#187,440
of 331,454 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Environmental Management
#18
of 27 outputs
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