[ Résilience des ménages face au déficit d’infrastructures hydrauliques à Parakou: Le rôle des postes d’eau autonomes ]
Volume 47, Issue 3, January 2026, Pages 380–391
Soulémane AHODJIDE1, Frédéric M. KOMBIENI2, and Jean-Bosco K. VODOUNOU3
1 Laboratoire des Géosciences de l’Environnement et de Cartographie, Université de Parakou, Benin
2 Département de Géographie et Aménagement du Territoire (DGAT), Université de Parakou, BP. 123 Parakou, Benin
3 Laboratoire des Géosciences de l’Environnement et de Cartographie, Université de Parakou, Benin
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Access to drinking water remains a major challenge in several West African cities, particularly in Parakou (Benin), where existing public water infrastructure is struggling to meet growing demand. Faced with this deficiency, populations are developing alternative solutions such as Autonomous Water Posts (AWP), which are becoming essential levers of resilience. The research analyzes their role in helping populations adapt to the lack of water infrastructure. It is based on a mixed methodology that combines field surveys, semi-structured interviews, and direct observations. The results reveal that Parakou needs 1,631 water points, while it only has 184 functional structures, representing a coverage rate of 11.28% and a deficit of approximately 89%. This deficit is aggravated by an insufficient supply from SONEB, despite a 70% increase in production between 2019 and 2023. As a result, a deficit of approximately 2 million cubic meters of water remained in 2023. In this context, family (76.56%), community (7.34%) or denominational (16.09%) AWP have multiplied, particularly in the 2nd district and contribute 2.94% to meeting household water needs. All AWP contribute 41% of the water needs of the households concerned. Eighty percent of respondents considered AWP a sustainable alternative, while the remaining 20 percent cited the high cost of implementation as the main obstacle to their adoption. The research suggests that these local initiatives should be supervised and integrated into public policies to strengthen equitable and sustainable access to drinking water.
Author Keywords: Resilience, deficit, hydraulic infrastructure, AWP, Parakou.
Volume 47, Issue 3, January 2026, Pages 380–391
Soulémane AHODJIDE1, Frédéric M. KOMBIENI2, and Jean-Bosco K. VODOUNOU3
1 Laboratoire des Géosciences de l’Environnement et de Cartographie, Université de Parakou, Benin
2 Département de Géographie et Aménagement du Territoire (DGAT), Université de Parakou, BP. 123 Parakou, Benin
3 Laboratoire des Géosciences de l’Environnement et de Cartographie, Université de Parakou, Benin
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Access to drinking water remains a major challenge in several West African cities, particularly in Parakou (Benin), where existing public water infrastructure is struggling to meet growing demand. Faced with this deficiency, populations are developing alternative solutions such as Autonomous Water Posts (AWP), which are becoming essential levers of resilience. The research analyzes their role in helping populations adapt to the lack of water infrastructure. It is based on a mixed methodology that combines field surveys, semi-structured interviews, and direct observations. The results reveal that Parakou needs 1,631 water points, while it only has 184 functional structures, representing a coverage rate of 11.28% and a deficit of approximately 89%. This deficit is aggravated by an insufficient supply from SONEB, despite a 70% increase in production between 2019 and 2023. As a result, a deficit of approximately 2 million cubic meters of water remained in 2023. In this context, family (76.56%), community (7.34%) or denominational (16.09%) AWP have multiplied, particularly in the 2nd district and contribute 2.94% to meeting household water needs. All AWP contribute 41% of the water needs of the households concerned. Eighty percent of respondents considered AWP a sustainable alternative, while the remaining 20 percent cited the high cost of implementation as the main obstacle to their adoption. The research suggests that these local initiatives should be supervised and integrated into public policies to strengthen equitable and sustainable access to drinking water.
Author Keywords: Resilience, deficit, hydraulic infrastructure, AWP, Parakou.
Abstract: (french)
L’accès à l’eau potable demeure un défi majeur dans plusieurs villes d’Afrique de l’Ouest, notamment à Parakou (Bénin), où les infrastructures hydrauliques publiques existantes peinent à répondre à la demande croissante. Face à cette carence, les populations développent des solutions alternatives telles que les Postes d’Eau Autonomes (PEA) qui deviennent des leviers essentiels de résilience. La recherche analyse leur rôle dans l’adaptation des populations face au déficit d’infrastructures hydrauliques. Elle s’appuie sur une méthodologie mixte qui combine enquêtes de terrain, entretiens semi-directifs et observations directes. Les résultats révèlent que Parakou a besoin de 1631 points d’eau, alors qu’elle ne dispose que seulement de 184 ouvrages fonctionnels, soit un taux de couverture de 11,28 % et un déficit d’environ 89 %. Ce déficit est aggravé par une offre insuffisante de la SONEB, malgré une augmentation de 70 % de la production entre 2019 et 2023. Du coup, un déficit d’environ 2 millions de mètre-cubes d’eau subsistait en 2023. Dans ce contexte, les PEA familiaux (76,56 %), communautaires (7,34 %) ou confessionnels (16,09 %), se sont multipliés, notamment dans le 2ᵉ arrondissement et contribuent à hauteur de 2,94 % à la satisfaction des besoins en eau des ménages. L’ensemble des PEA contribue pour 41 % des besoins en eau des ménages concernés. Pour 80 % des enquêtés, les PEA sont une alternative durable tandis que les 20 % restants évoquent le coût élevé de mise en place comme principal frein à leur adoption. La recherche suggère l’encadrement et l’intégration de ces initiatives locales dans les politiques publiques pour renforcer l’accès équitable et durable à l’eau potable.
Author Keywords: Résilience, déficit, infrastructures hydrauliques, PEA, Parakou.
How to Cite this Article
Soulémane AHODJIDE, Frédéric M. KOMBIENI, and Jean-Bosco K. VODOUNOU, “Resilience of households to the deficit of hydraulic infrastructure in Parakou: The role of autonomous water posts,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 380–391, January 2026.
