A Geographical Look at Water Use in An Intẻgrẻ Neighbourhood: The Gbokora Neighbourhood In Daloa (Centre-West, Ivory Coast)

Access to drinking water is a major issue in developing countries. It is a factor of development. Not having at least one water tap in the yard or in the home affects human capital from an economic, health and social point of view. Faced with an ever-increasing demand for water in an integrated neighbourhood with strong spatial and demographic growth, the spatial dimension is not sufficiently taken into account in the study. This is the main interest of our study, which aims to show the socio-demographic determinants of households in the Gbokora district in relation to water use. This work was based on documentary research and a field survey. The various stages of this survey consisted of direct observations, an inventory of water supply sources and housing, a questionnaire sent to households and interviews with administrative authorities and SODECI officials. The results reveal that 47% of households use tap water, 21% prefer well water, 16% alternate between tap and well water, 5% of households use only spring water, and 5% of households use a combination of these sources (tap water plus spring water plus well water). The socio- demographic survey on water consumption in Gbokora identified 47% of men. The distribution by age group of respondents reveals that the 18 to 55 year old group accounts for 95%, followed by the over 55 year olds with a proportion of 5%. The unemployed represent 37% of consumers. In terms of housing, 74% of the buildings are made of hardwood and fenced against 16% of houses made of open hardwood (not fenced) and 11% of houses made of earth and open.