POPULATION GROWTH AND DRINKING WATER DEMAND IN CITIES COMPARATIVE STUDY APPLIED TO THE CITY OF BUJUMBURA

Abstract

Faced with the population growth and the expansion of the city of Bujumbura on he one hand and the shortage of drinking water on the other hand, there are increasing shortages of drinking water and insufficient of existing hydraulic installations capacity in the drinking water supply sector. Overcoming this problem involves forecasting the consumption of this resource based on the size of the growing population. Rapid urban population growth is putting increasing pressure on drinking water resources and water services. This article proposes a comparative study applied to the city of Bujumbura (Burundi) aimed at quantifying the evolution of drinking water demand between 2024 and 2064, identifying the main determinants of this demand and proposing management scenarios to ensure urban water security. The approach combines demographic projections, estimation of domestic and non-domestic demand, analysis of production capacities and network losses, and formulation of adaptation strategies. The results show that at current trends, total demand could increase by 150 – 500 % between 2024 and 2064, creating a significant deficit if investments and management measures are not implemented.