Evaluation of Hand⁻Dug Wells in Rural Haiti.

Water resources, especially safe, potable water, are limited for many Haitians. In areas where shallow groundwater is available, many household water needs such as laundry, bathing, and cooking are supplied by hand⁻dug wells. In order to better understand the water quality and prevalence of these household wells, 35 hand⁻dug wells were surveyed and sampled near the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles, Haiti.

Long-term field performance of biosand filters in the Artibonite Valley, Haiti.

A field study assessing the sustainability and efficacy of 55 biosand filters installed during 1999-2010 was conducted in the Artibonite Valley, Haiti during 2011. Twenty-nine filters were still in use. Duration of filter use ranged from < 1 to 12 years.

Using ArcMap, Google Earth, and Global Positioning Systems to select and locate random households in rural Haiti.

Background: A remote sensing technique was developed which combines a Geographic Information System (GIS); Google Earth, and Microsoft Excel to identify home locations for a random sample of households in rural Haiti. The method was used to select homes for ethnographic and water quality research in a region of rural Haiti located within 9 km of a local hospital and source of health education in Deschapelles, Haiti. The technique does not require access to governmental records or ground based surveys to collect household location data and can be performed in a rapid, cost-effective manner.