Where Should the Clinic Be Built?
A village has no clinic; the nearest health centre is 12 km away. A sketch map of the area shows north at the top. The Lwazi River flows from west to east across the middle of the map. North of the river, contour lines are close together and rise steeply to a forest reserve. South of the river, the land is gently sloping and contains the main village, a primary school and gardens. A footpath crosses the river at an old wooden bridge and continues north to a trading centre. The floodplain lies immediately south of the river; villagers say it floods in January. Three sites are proposed for a clinic: Site A on the steep north bank near the forest, Site B on flat ground 300 m south of the school, and Site C on the floodplain close to the bridge. A health officer says the clinic needs safe water, an all-weather road and room for an ambulance. The village head wants the cheapest site, and a trader owns land at Site B.
1. Use the map features to evaluate Sites A, B and C. Which site has the fewest risks?
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Site A has steep slopes and is close to the forest reserve. Close contour lines mean a clinic would need costly levelling, and rainwater would run off quickly; access for an ambulance would be difficult, and building near the reserve may create environmental pressure. Site B is on gently sloping ground south of the school, near the main village and existing footpaths. It offers room for expansion and is away from the immediate floodplain, but the trader owns the land, so the village must negotiate or choose a nearby alternative. Site C is close to the bridge and may seem convenient, but the floodplain floods in January; a clinic there risks being cut off, contaminated water and damaged medicines. The bridge is old, so even Site C may not guarantee all-weather access. The best site is therefore B or a nearby public plot, not A or C.
2. Recommend a site and explain what additional information the committee needs before final approval.
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I would recommend Site B, subject to a land agreement and a water test. The clinic needs an all-weather road, safe water and space for an ambulance; Site B is the only site that combines gentle ground, proximity to the village and school, and distance from the January flood line. Site A fails on slope and ambulance access; Site C fails on flood risk.
Before the final decision, the committee should obtain the trader's price and whether the plot can be bought or leased, a surveyor's flood level for the last ten years, a water engineer's advice on a borehole, and the district road department's view on improving the footpath to the bridge. If the trader's price is too high, the committee should ask the chief and district council to identify a public plot near Site B rather than fall back to the floodplain.