Water infrastructure sustainability challenge in Nigeria: A detailed examination of infrastructure failures and potential solutions

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 – universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water – is a critical global challenge. This study contributes to this aim by analyzing the functionality and sustainability of rural water boreholes in Nigeria. It employs GIS mapping, Spearman’s rho correlation analysis, and interviews across 1,696 communities to investigate borehole failure dynamics, the impact of multidimensional poverty index (MPI) on water access, technical failure causes, and the influence of ownership on functionality. Findings show that while 49.8% of communities lack improved water sources, 25.5 benefit from functional boreholes, and 24.5 grapple with failures. This study reveals a complex relationship between MPI and water access, with community ownership associated with better functionality. Consequently, the study proposes holistic strategies, emphasizing community mapping and smart infrastructure, to enhance water system sustainability. Although the study is centered in Nigeria, its insights are applicable to regions with similar socio-economic conditions, contributing to the global pursuit of sustainable water access in alignment with SDG 6.1

Water infrastructure sustainability in Nigeria: a systematic review of challenges and sustainable solutions

Using the PRISMA method, this systematic literature review synthesized findings from 15 studies to elucidate the key factors contributing to water infrastructure failure in Nigeria and propose evidence-based sustainable solutions. The study identified technical, financial, environmental, social, political, and institutional factors as predominant challenges in achieving water infrastructure sustainability. In response to these challenges, the researcher proposes a comprehensive ‘Sustainability Framework for Water Infrastructure’. This framework is designed to guide every stage of water infrastructure development, starting from pre-construction with an emphasis on inclusive project planning, followed by the construction phase where suitable techniques are utilized, and extending to the post-construction stage, focusing on efficient monitoring and management mechanisms. The study highlights the complexity of water infrastructure sustainability in Nigeria and underscores the urgent need for a structured and comprehensive approach to address this pressing issue

Sustainability framework for water infrastructure development in Nigeria: a modelling approach

This study introduces the Predictive Iterative Sustainability Model (PISM), a tailored framework designed to enhance water infrastructure sustainability evaluations in Nigeria. PISM addresses the lack of localised, adaptable frameworks by integrating three key components: a Viability Rating (VR), a Sustainability Rating (SR), and a conceptual formula within a predictive iterative process. This integrated approach optimises project evaluation and planning. Empirical data were derived by evaluating responses to a survey with 70 Likert-scale questions covering 265 sustainability challenges. This data was used to assess community viability for sustainable water infrastructure in five Nigerian communities facing significant water poverty. The results reveal VR scores ranging from 63.95 to 67.91%, establishing a benchmark for viability. SR scores, on the other hand, vary substantially from 179 to 424%, illustrating the model’s capacity to evaluate sustainability under diverse conditions and identify critical, high-impact projects that can mitigate infrastructure failure risks. As a dynamic and adaptable framework, PISM holds significant potential to improve water infrastructure sustainability in Nigeria and similar regions globally

Evaluating the effectiveness of smart water management systems in enhancing the resilience and sustainability of water infrastructure in Nigeria

This study rigorously evaluates the effectiveness of smart water management systems in addressing prevalent water infrastructure failures, resilience, and sustainability challenges in Nigeria. Employing a transdisciplinary approach that integrates technological, social, and economic disciplines, along with industry and community insights, it analyses 1,095 days of operational data from a smart water kiosk. The data were processed employing Target 6.1 software for comprehensive comparative analysis, trend analysis, predictive modeling, and impact assessment. Initially, the kiosk achieved a 22% self-sustainability rating (SSR), which dropped to zero due to aid overlap – a novel challenge documented for the first time in the literature as a significant challenge to infrastructure sustainability. Additionally, the research highlighted infrastructure underutilization as a critical yet under-explored issue. Despite these challenges, the kiosk ultimately achieved a 100% sustainability rating (SR) with external support and maintained a high reliability rating of 97.1%. The findings of this study guide strategic research and policy recommendations, aiming to optimize the deployment of smart water management systems in Nigeria and other regions with similar socio-economic settings, thereby enriching the global discourse on sustainable water infrastructure

Orientation and dynamics of transmembrane peptides: the power of simple models

In this review we discuss recent insights obtained from well-characterized model systems into the factors that determine the orientation and tilt angles of transmembrane peptides in lipid bilayers. We will compare tilt angles of synthetic peptides with those of natural peptides and proteins, and we will discuss how tilt can be modulated by hydrophobic mismatch between the thickness of the bilayer and the length of the membrane spanning part of the peptide or protein. In particular, we will focus on results obtained on tryptophan-flanked model peptides (WALP peptides) as a case study to illustrate possible consequences of hydrophobic mismatch in molecular detail and to highlight the importance of peptide dynamics for the experimental determination of tilt angles. We will conclude with discussing some future prospects and challenges concerning the use of simple peptide/lipid model systems as a tool to understand membrane structure and function

Steroid Hormones in Social Science Research

Steroid hormones, such as cortisol, estrogens, and testosterone, are a class of chemical messenger that travel in the bloodstream and affect every nucleated cell in the body. This means that they have wide-ranging and profound effects on decision making, risk taking, consumption patterns, interpersonal behavior, and many other topics of interest to the social scientist. This chapter aims to do three things. First, to explain what steroid hormones are, their mode of action, and their regulation. Second, to discuss how steroid hormones and their effects might be accurately measured. Finally, this chapter reviews how steroid hormones have been used in existing social scientific research and how they might be more effectively used in future research programs