Early warning and preparedness for climate-sensitive waterborne epidemics in Benin

Communities in Benin are on the frontlines of climate change. In the colourful, stilted houses on Lake Nokoué and Cotonou’s open-air Dantokpa market, the threat of climate-sensitive disease looms over the lives and livelihoods of locals.  

Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and increased flooding continuously disrupt water systems and amplify the risk of waterborne diseases. Inadequate sanitation and poor waste management make the situation worse, leaving vulnerable populations at even greater risk. 

Scientific data powers positive change  

With funding from IDRC, researchers and local community partners are working on an innovative solution to safeguard the health of everyone living on Lake Nokoué. Using local data, they are designing an early-warning and response system for climate-sensitive waterborne disease outbreaks. The goal is to strengthen public health resilience in the face of climate change. The project is co-led by the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and the Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Benin.  

“My involvement in this project is driven by the positive impact it could have through the community’s involvement in identifying health solutions related to climate change,” said Yaovi Mahuton Gildas Hounmanou, collaborating investigator, assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen and lecturer-researcher at the Université d’Abomey-Calavi. “These are issues that no one addresses. This initiative will offer important benefits to the community.”  

The research team is focusing its work on eight districts in Benin: Ganvié 1 and 2, Sô-Ava, Ahomey-Lokpo, Dékanmey, Houédo-Aguékon, Vekky and Cotonou (mainly in the Hindé district along the Dantokpa market), with the goal of expanding the early-warning system into other regions. 

Community snapshot: Ganvié 

Located on Lake Nokoué, Ganvié is the largest lake community in Africa. Known as the Venice of Africa, the community is a floating village of wooden stilt houses and artificial islands. The village was established in the 17th century by people fleeing intertribal wars and slave raids. Ganvié’s nearly 40,000 inhabitants face unique health and environmental challenges from life on the lake.  

Climate change creates health challenges 

While Ganvié is a popular tourist destination with a rich cultural heritage, it’s not without its challenges. Residents face serious health and environmental risks that are expected to worsen with climate change. 

Periods of extreme heat make it difficult to get around the lake as water levels plummet. It becomes a hospitable environment for water hyacinths, an invasive aquatic plant that clogs waterways. With the heat, residents are forced to sleep outside their homes at night, exposing them to vector-borne diseases like malaria. With low water levels, local economic activities slow down, limiting agricultural work and the availability of fish to nourish the community. 

“Here we have a season that is characterized by what we call ‘swimmers itch.’ Our body itches a lot, especially when we return from fishing,” explained one fisherman. 

During the rainy season, residents face floods that have worsened due to climate change raising sea levels. Open defecation practices and animal feces entering the lake from water run-off create unsanitary conditions further compounded by residents’ limited access to clean water. These conditions regularly expose villagers to waterborne diseases like diarrhea, cholera and vector-borne infections.  

Community-driven solutions  

The project team’s early-warning and response system aims to help at-risk communities in Benin better address critical health and wellness challenges brought on by climate change. To do so, they are working to overcome the stigma of waterborne diseases.  

Health issues, especially those related to cholera, are usually managed discreetly within families to avoid scrutiny from neighbours. Information is only shared once the illness has worsened and the patient is hospitalized. By the time the first case becomes severe, the disease has incubated and multiplied, making it more difficult to combat and control as greater numbers of people become exposed. 

The project actively engages each community in developing the early-warning system. This participatory action research puts local residents at the heart of finding and implementing solutions to support healthier outcomes.  

By taking a community-centred approach, the research team is identifying the most at-risk groups and quantifying their specific health vulnerabilities and exposure risks. Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, the team is developing tailored, bottom-up interventions that respond to the unique challenges of each community, whether coastal settlements, market vendors or lake-dwelling populations. 

“There are many benefits to this project for the population. The awareness raising to prevent these types of diseases is positive,” said Germain Gnonlonfin, a community health worker. “The project’s assessment of the diseases that occur here is very helpful for the population.” 

Beyond its immediate impact, this initiative serves as a model for climate-smart health interventions, creating pathways for sustainable solutions that can be scaled to other vulnerable regions facing emerging disease threats.   

Contributors: Yaovi Mahuton Gildas Hounmanou, Université Abomey-Calavi and Natacha Lecours, IDRC.