Central African Republic’s First Water Atlas Charts a Path to Safer Drinking Water

IAEA isotope hydrologist Yuliya Vystavna described the publication as a way to make complex scientific findings accessible to the people responsible for water planning and protection.

For a country where only about 36 percent of people have access to clean water, understanding the water beneath the ground and in rivers is an essential part of improving daily life. The Central African Republic has released its first national atlas on water quality and isotope hydrology, developed with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), giving authorities a practical scientific reference for assessing water resources, protecting supplies and planning for future needs.

Turning years of water research into a practical guide

The Atlas of Isotope Hydrology and Water Quality — Central African Republic brings together national and regional maps, information on water chemistry, isotope measurements and records from surface water and groundwater sampling sites across the country. It gathers nearly a decade of isotope hydrology data collected through IAEA technical cooperation projects, drawing on a broader programme of investigations spanning more than ten years, so water managers can consult evidence that previously required specialist interpretation.

IAEA isotope hydrologist Yuliya Vystavna described the publication as a way to make complex scientific findings accessible to the people responsible for water planning and protection. Its value lies in helping national institutions understand both water availability and quality, with a shared evidence base that can support fairer decisions about resource management. Researchers at the University of Bangui will also use the atlas, giving academic work and public planning a common scientific foundation.

Reading the natural clues carried by groundwater

Scientists use naturally occurring isotopes as clues to trace where water comes from and how it moves underground. Measurements of oxygen-18 and deuterium help reveal groundwater origins, movement and replenishment patterns; tritium, carbon-14 and nitrate isotopes provide further information about groundwater age, recharge rates, flow routes and possible contamination sources. These techniques reveal details that conventional hydrological methods alone cannot provide, improving the evidence available for decisions about protecting and using water resources.

Investigations have helped identify deeper groundwater resources that are less affected by contamination from the surface and could provide an additional strategic source of drinking water. Since 2009, the IAEA's Isotope Hydrology Section has supported the country through its technical cooperation programme, providing training courses, fellowships, technical assistance and monitoring infrastructure. That investment has helped national specialists apply isotope techniques systematically and created the scientific foundation needed to produce the country's first atlas.

Connecting scientific findings with water services and policy

The atlas project began at a December 2021 workshop organised by the IAEA and the University of Bangui, bringing together the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Mines and Geology, the General Directorate of Hydraulics and the National Water and Sanitation Agency. Laboratories, academic institutions and UN agencies based in Bangui, including UNESCO and UNICEF, also participated, creating a forum for organisations with different responsibilities to discuss how scientific evidence could guide national water management.

Professor Eric Foto, a national water resources management expert, identified inadequate water quality monitoring after drinking water supply and sanitation facilities are built as a major obstacle to effective infrastructure planning. He sees the atlas as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between isotope scientists and water managers, helping research inform policy. The publication is expected to support water legislation, integrated resource management and future monitoring, giving national institutions and international partners a shared reference for discussing how to improve water services over the longer term.