IVORY COAST: SOLVING PROBLEMS OF POLLUTION IN ABIDJAN'S LAGOON BECOMES CASUALTY OF POLITICAL UNREST

Record ID: 549324

  • Title: IVORY COAST: SOLVING PROBLEMS OF POLLUTION IN ABIDJAN'S LAGOON BECOMES CASUALTY OF POLITICAL UNREST
  • Date: 1st December 2002
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (RECENT) (REUTERS) WIDE OF PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE EBRIE LAGOON, WITH ABIDJAN IN THE BACKGROUND SMV MAN IN A SMALL FISHING VESSEL SAILING BY SHIP WIDE OF THE LAGOON/ ABIDJAN SKYLINE WIDE OF HIGHWAY FROM ABIDJAN TO TIAGBA ACROSS LAGOON TIAGBA, IVORY COAST (RECENT) (REUTERS) SLV CARS ALONG ROAD SLV WOOD AND REED HOUSES ON STILTS IN THE LAGOON SMV CHILD SITTING OUTSIDE A HOUSE, PLAYING SLV THREE MEN GOING OUT TO SEA IN A CANOE CLOSE UP ON MAN PADDLING THE CANOE SLV OMAN BUYING FISH FROM A FISHERMAN SLV SMALL GIRL PADDLING A CANOE WIDE OF THREE PEOPLE IN A CANOE ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (RECENT) (REUTERS) CLOSE OF CONTAMINATED WATER IN THE LAGOON WIDE OF POLLUTED WATER SMV THREE SCIENTISTS IN A BOAT SAILING TO TAKE WATER SAMPLES VARIOUS, SCIENTIST SCOOPING WASTE/ MUD OUT OF THE WATER (2 SHOTS) SMV WATER FROM LAGOON BEING POURED INTO SAMPLE BOTTLES FOR CONTAMINATED WATER SMV/ CLOSE OF SCIENTIST READING SAMPLE LOG-SHEET (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (FRENCH) JEROME BOUE OF THE IVORIAN ANTI-POLLUTION CENTRE SAYING: "When it comes to nutritional elements, for example nitrates, phosphates and ammonium, we have pretty high levels, and when it comes to microbiology, we've got very high levels of contamination. The reason's easy to see: this part of the lagoon, is the dumping ground for all wastewater." SLV OF LAGOON AND CONTAMINATED WATER CLOSE OF RUBBISH WASHED UP ON SHORE OF THE LAGOON WIDE OF THE LAGOON, ABIDJAN IN THE BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF SEWER RUNNING INTO THE LAGOON (2 SHOTS) SLV YOUNG MEN CAST THEIR FISHING LINES INTO THE LAGOON WATERS SMV/ SCU CAFE OWNER KADIGA SOW PREPARING PORTIONS OF RICE FOR HER CUSTOMERS (2 SHOTS) WIDE OF COOKING POTS NEXT TO SEWER OUTLET SLV POLLUTED WATER IN THE LAGOON SLV WOMAN WASHES DISHES OUTSIDE THE CAFE BY SEWER CLOSE OF COOKING POTS SCU (SOUNDBITE) (FULANI) CAFÉ OWNER KADIGA SOW SAYING: "I know that where I cook is really dirty but I have no choice. If I could clean it up I would have, but I don't have the means to do more and it annoys me. I do my best to keep at least this small area clean." WIDE OF CORRUGATED IRON HOUSE IN THE POOR NEIGHBOURHOOD PETIT-BASSAM CLOSE OF DUCK WITH DUCKLINGS SWIMMING IN THE LAGOON EIDE OF PALM TREES OF PETIT-BASSAM ACROSS LAGOON SLV PALM TREES AND HOUSES CLOSE OF POLLUTED WATER SLV SMALL CHILD PLAYING AMIDST THE RUBBISH ON THE SHORE SLV MAN FISHING BY SEWER OUTLET WIDE OF CHILDEN PLAYING BY SHORE OF LAKE SLV CHILDREN PLAYING SLV RUBBISH ON THE SHORE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (FRENCH) IVORY COAST WATER COMPANY STAFF MEMBER MATHIAS KANGAH SAYING: "Yes, the water does pose a health problem since nothing in this water has been treated, so there are microbes, bacteria and so on, which provoke diseases like cholera and alike." SCU (SOUNDBITE) (FRENCH) RESIDENT OF PETIT BASSAM, SALIF KEILE SAYING: "We were doing fine here when a garbage collection company was operating. Things were fine, but now they've stopped coming so the women are obliged to throw rubbish into the lagoon. Before, we weren't doing that." VARIOUS OF RUBBISH WASHED ASHORE FROM THE LAGOON VARIOUS OF CHILDREN FETCHING WATER FROM THE WELL IN PETIT-BASSAM (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF A WOMEN DOING THEIR WASHING UP WITH WATER FROM THE WELL (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF A MAN COLLECTING DRINKING WATER FROM NEW STAND-PIPE IN PETIT-BASSAM (2 SHOTS) WIDE OF ARCHIMEDES SCREW MECHANISM USED TO PROCESS DIRTY WATER AT WATER TREATMENT PLANT ( 2 SHOTS) WIDE OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT VARIOUS, WATER BEING TREATED (2 SHOTS) CLOSE OF STAGNANT WATER IN WATER TREATMENT POOL SLV MAN REMOVING WASTE FROM WATER WITH A RAKE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (FRENCH) YAPI NARCISSES AMBO SODECI SAYING: "The oil comes from cars that have been serviced. It comes from fish factories, oils from manufacturers like soap manufacturers and others -- I won't mention any names -- and all of that oil arrives at this plant and it blocks the filters of our pumps." TOPSHOT OF WATER FLOWING INTO TREATMENT PLANT WIDE OF THE ARCHIMEDES SCREWS IN MOTION AT PLANT SMV DIRECTOR IN THE ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY GOUGANOU KOPIEU SITTING AT COMPUTER READING WATER TREATMENT REPORT (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF RUBBISH IN THE LAGOON (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) DIRECTOR IN THE ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY GOUGANOU KOPIEU SAYING: "Look -- if you go to the Centre for Ocean Research there are loads of studies like this one on Abidjan's lagoon. Listen, let's not carry on doing studies for ever." SCU (SOUNDBITE) (FRENCH) IVORIAN PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO SAYING: "In Abidjan we're helping to kill the lagoon with a full attack on its environment, says Ivory Coast President. For years now we've been pouring filth into the water and done absolutely nothing to clean it up." VARIOUS OF CONTAMINATED WATER IN THE LAGOON (3 SHOTS) SMV LAURENT GBAGBO TALKING TO HIS AIDES IN HIS OFFICE TIAGBA, IVORY COAST (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YOUNG MEN FISHING IN LAGOON (2 SHOTS) SMV THREE WOMEN PREPARING FISH FOR SALE SLV WOMAN CARRYING WALKING THROUGH VILLAGE, CARRYING BUCKETS OF WATER SLV MAN FISHING NEXT TO HIS HOUSE SMV WOMAN AND HER DAUGHTER ROWING A CANOE IN THE LAGOON SMV BOAT ALONGSIDE HOUSE ON STILTS WIDE OF OUSE ON STILTS , TYPICAL OF TIAGBA WIDE OF SUNSET OVER THE VILLAGE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 16th December 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ABIDJAN AND TIAGBA, IVORY COAST
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAUZIJA6SNMPWWW51MIS2J61NI
  • Story Text: Before September's coup attempt, cleaning up Abidjan's heavily polluted lagoon was a priority for Ivory Coast. But now it has become just another casualty of war -- and its water continues to poison the lives of those who live near it.
    The Ebrie [EE-bree] lagoon is what makes Abidjan what it is -- Ivory Coast's most important harbour, the pearl of the lagoon. It's 130 km long -- and only an hour's drive west of the city, it is still idyllic and beautiful.
    In the little village of Tiagba [tee-ag-bah] time seems to have stood still. It can only be reached by canoe; people live on fishing -- and children learn how to paddle almost before they can walk.
    The lagoon is their source of life -- but death is creeping towards Tiagba at an alarming rate.
    Outside Abidjan, scientists from the Ivory Coast Pollution centre are testing the pollution level of the lagoon. The results from the lab make grim reading.
    "When it comes to nutritional elements, for example nitrates, phosphate and ammonium, we have pretty high levels,"
    says Jerome Boue of the Ivorian Anti-Pollution Centre. "And when it comes to microbiology, we've got very high levels of contamination. The reason's easy to see: this part of Abidjan, this part of the lagoon, is the dumping ground for all wastewater."
    The section in front of the Cathedral is one of the dirtiest. But although sewers run directly into it, some people still fish here.
    Kadiga (Kah-dee-gah) Sow from Guinea is one of Abidjan's many immigrants. Her café's location, right next to the sewer, could hardly be worse. But as a foreigner in an overcrowded part of town her options are limited.
    "I know that where I cook is really dirty but I have no choice," she says. "If I could have cleaned it up I would have. But I don't have the means to do more and it annoys me.
    I do my best to keep at least this small area clean."
    Petit (Pe-tee) Bassam is a poor neighbourhood at the end of one of the lagoon's many inlets. From a distance it looks idyllic with its palm trees and still water.
    Not up close. The water is nearly stagnant and it smells bad. Rubbish that comes in has no outlet.
    People fish here and children play. They might look happy -- but pollution takes a heavy toll on health.
    "Yes, the water does pose a health problem since nothing in this water has been treated," says Mathias Kangah from the Water Company. "So there are microbes, bacteria and so on, which provoke diseases like cholera and alike."
    "We were doing fine here when a garbage collection company was operating. Things were fine," says Petit-Bassam resident Salif Keile. "But now they've stopped coming so the women are obliged to throw rubbish into the lagoon. Before, we weren't doing that."
    Rubbish might be a problem for Petit-Bassam, but one thing has been improved -- they now have clean water for washing.
    It's not drinkable -- the well is too close to the lagoon for that. But a separate standpipe has been hooked up to drinking water from the Ivorian Water Company.
    The Environment Ministry has also invested in an Archimedes screw, which raises dirty water to a level where it can be treated. Water and sewage then get cleared of plants, oil, sand and solid waste. There's only one snag -- the machine can't cope with the level of pollutants.
    "The oil comes from cars that have been serviced," says Yapi Narcisses Ambo Sodeci. "It comes from fish factories, oils from manufacturers like soap manufacturers and others -- I won't mention any names -- and all of that oil arrives at this plant and it blocks the filters of our pumps."
    With the lagoon already so heavily polluted, it won't be enough to just filter incoming water -- or to carry on evaluating pollution levels without taking action. The government had made plans to start rehabilitating the bay next to the Cathedral, and to see results by the end of 2003.
    "Look -- if you go to the Centre for Ocean Research there are loads of studies like this one on Abidjan's lagoon,"
    points out Gouganou Kopieu, Director at the Environment Ministry. "Listen, let's not carry on doing studies for ever."
    The President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, did agree with him in principle: "In Abidjan we're helping to kill the lagoon with a full attack on its environment," said Gbagbo.
    "For years now we've been pouring filth into the water and done absolutely nothing to clean it up."
    But since the September coup-attempt, his government has other priorities than improving the lives of lagoon residents.
    The civilians have other things to worry about too, especially the poor immigrants who live where the lagoon is dirtiest.
    Caught between the two sides, they are simply fighting to stay alive.
    Cleaning the Ebrie lagoon has become one of Ivory Coast's many war casualties. And while the government and rebels grapple for power, the poison in the water continues to creep towards the sleepy villages at the far end of the lagoon.
    ENDS
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