Inadequate Water Supply Research Articles

A participatory SWOT analysis on water, sanitation, and hygiene management of disabled females in Dhaka slums of Bangladesh

Abstract Rampant slum growths add more barriers to scaling up sustainable WASH facilities coupled with safe MHM amenities for megacities. On top of inequalities in accessing to WASH provision, MHM sensitivity to the needs of disabled girls or women is commonly denied. Low-income community case studies from the megalopolis of Dhaka, Bangladesh, capture multi-faceted links between disabled-female's agony and hygiene issues. Layers of discrimination are faced starting from no education after puberty to becoming a family burden. An overall assessment was further extended to identify SWOT for water and sanitation access to hygiene and MHM practices from the gender perspectives applying several mixed-method participatory approaches. Insufficient government support amount, inadequate pipeline water supplies, inconvenient infrastructures, and pricey hygiene products are considered as key weaknesses. Immediate demands include policies for empowerment via training, education coupled with caring services, and adequate, affordable, and disabled inclusive MHM amenities at public places. Finally, the analyses suggest community choices classifying recommendations into three broad categories, namely policy, intervention, and research to serve policymakers and gender experts in identifying potential measures to achieve the global targets of SDGs 3, 5, 6, and 10. Among many solutions, income opportunity via non-governmental loans for caretakers was proposed by most.

Real and Synthetic Greywater Treatment by a Combined Process of Ozonation, Granular Activated Carbon, and Ultrafiltration

Background: The water crisis in different parts of the world forces people to manage water resources. Greywater can be used to reduce water stress. The annual rainfall average in Iran is hardly one-third of the world. In this study, the treatment of synthetic greywater at low, medium, and high organic load and real greywater (RGW) by a combined process of ozonation/granular activated carbon (GAC)/ultrafiltration (UF) have been investigated. Objectives: This study aimed to find a greywater treatment method that is effective, new, environment-friendly, and cost-effective. Methods: Chemicals and commercial compounds were used to prepare synthetic greywater, and the research pilot was developed. After several preparation steps, the GAC was transferred to a GAC reactor. A continuous flow of synthetic greywater entered the treatment system with low: 6.1, medium: 12.2, and high: 18.3 gCOD/L.d organic loading rates for 6 months. Next, the RGW samples from a residential complex in Shiraz, Iran, entered the treatment system for two weeks. After chemical analysis, an analysis of variance was carried out to compare the removal efficiency of parameters: [chemical oxygen demand (COD), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), turbidity, and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS)] at various organic loads (low, medium, and high) of synthetic greywater and RGW. Results: We found the average COD removal in low, medium, and high organic loads of synthetic greywater and RGW as approximately 79.3%, 86.1%, 77.3%, and 97.3%, respectively. Moreover, the average BOD5 removal in the mentioned groups was about 69.6%, 48.9%, 42.7%, and 86.8%, respectively. The average of turbidity removal was 95.6%, 98.3%, 97.4%, and 97.9%, and average LAS removal was 90.1%, 88.9%, 88.3%, and 91.9%, respectively. Conclusions: This treatment method is remarkable for real and synthetic greywater treatment. It can effectively remove COD, BOD5, turbidity, and LAS. In addition, it is a relatively low-cost and environment-friendly system. Therefore, it can be recommended as a greywater treatment method, especially in countries with inadequate water supplies, such as Iran.

Prevalence and predictors of intestinal schistosomiasis among the adult population, and water and sanitation conditions - A community-based cross-section study at Muleba District, Tanzania

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal schistosomiasis is one of the serious public health problems in all age groups and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality, especially in communities with an inadequate supply of safe water and sanitation services. This study was conducted to establish the current burden of intestinal schistosomiasis among adults in the Muleba District and assess water and sanitation conditions that might influence the transmission of intestinal schistosomiasis.METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between July and August 2020. A total of 328 stool samples were collected and processed using formal-ether concentration and Kato-Katz methods. Water and sanitation data were collected using a questionnaire interview conducted among participants. Participants were randomly selected from four villages. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23.RESULTS: Thirty-six participants (11%) were infected with Schistosoma mansoni. The prevalence was higher among households using water from improved sources, houses without sanitation facilities, and participants who do not use sanitation facilities. We found a significantly increased risk of S. mansoni infection among participants in households without toilet facilities than those with ventilated improved pit latrine (OR =4.10, p = 0.001).CONCLUSION: The prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis infection among the adult population in Muleba indicates a moderate risk of transmission. The type of toilet facility is a significant factor in the perpetuation of S. mansoni transmission.

Effects of Irrigation Water Sufficiency on Water Fee Collection Rate in Uganda’s Large-Scale Paddy Irrigation Schemes

Improving irrigation performance is crucial for increased agricultural productivity. As an indicator of performance, among other factors, improving the water Fees Collection Rate (FCR) is required, but FCR has remained low in most African and Asian countries. In this research, taking the Doho rice scheme in Uganda as a case study, we analyzed the relationship between water sufficiency and FCR. We hypothesized that FCR is influenced by the hydraulic position of the paddy field along the canal. We then used quantitative data for analysis through multiple regression. Later we used qualitative data obtained through interviews for additional explanations of water management activities. As a result, the FCR decreases from upstream to downstream at block, strip, and plot levels; the FCR decreases linearly with an increase in the delivery canal length; the FCR is higher in strips with fewer plots, and FCR is higher within the rotational irrigation blocks. We concluded that inadequate water supply due to high hydraulic positions resulted in low FCR downstream at all the canal levels. To improve FCR, we recommend blending water management activities that secure farmers’ agreement with onsite technical measures to counter the effect of hydraulic positions such as shorter strips and rotational irrigation.

Legume Integration Augments the Forage Productivity and Quality in Maize-Based System in the Loess Plateau Region

The changing climate, inadequate water supply, insufficient agricultural inputs, decreasing in agricultural arable land areas under forage crops of Northwestern Loess Plateau region, expanding livestock population, increasing demands for meat and milk production, and food and feed security concerns all insist on a necessary requirement in forage quality production. Cereal–legume mixed-cropping is a biological approach to enhancing herbage yield and quality of upgraded animal feed (forage and silage). However, little information exists about the appropriate mixing seeding ratios and its impacts on yield and quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the forage yield and nutritional quality of maize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in mono-and mixed-cropping approaches at the seeding proportions of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 45:55, 25:75, and 0:100 in 2019 and 2020 in Northwestern Loess Plateau region. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used in this experiment. The results indicated that forage quality was significantly affected by the mixture ratios. The land equivalent ratio (LER) of all mixed-cropping treatments greater than 1.0, in which maize–common bean at the 50:50 seeding ratio achieved higher LER (1.46) than that of other treatments, showing that mixed-cropping combination systems are better users of land resources. Laboratory forage quality analysis and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the relative feed value had highly positive correlation with total digestible nutrients and relative forage quality in mixed-cropping treatments. Our results showed that fresh forage yield and dry matter yield were higher in monocropped maize forage than in other intercropped forages, whereas crude protein yield was lower compared with other mixed cropping forages. After 60 days of ensiling, the highest organic acid profile and ammonia-nitrogen were observed in M25:CB75 silage compared with other silages. The highest ensilability of fermentation coefficient was also found in M50:CB50 compared with other intercropped silages. Regarding forage preservation, silage showed higher contents of crude protein, relative feed value and lower crude fiber, water-soluble carbohydrate neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber contents than forage. This study determined that the ratios of maize–common bean 25:75 and 50:50 were the most desirable mixture ratios among mixed-cropped forage and silage based on chemical composition and quality analysis for livestock feeding.

A scenario analysis-based optimal management of water resources supply and demand balance: A case study of Chengdu, China.

Water resources scarcity has threatened the coordinative development of demographics, society and economy. As a typical rapidly urbanizing area and an emerging megacity in China, Chengdu is confronting the pressure of inadequate water supply. The present study divides the macroeconomic factors that affect the water resource supply and demand balance into six major subsystems: water resources supply, water demand, water drainage, population, ecological environment and economy. The combining variable interaction description and predictive simulation models are applied to simulate the water supply and demand ratio (S:D) from 2005 to 2035. Further, this study designs different development scenarios to simulate the change of S:D ratios by altering the parameter values of driving factors. The results show that: (1) the S:D ratio will decline if the current development scenario continues, implying the serious water resources shortage and the severe water supply-demand conflict in Chengdu; (2) socio-economic water demand and wastewater/rainwater reuse are the key driving parameters of S:D ratio, especially the water consumption per ten thousand yuan of industrial value-added; (3) the S:D ratio will increase from 0.92 in the current baseline scenario to 1.06 in the integrated optimization scenario in 2025, and the long-term planning brings 2035 from 0.71 to 1.03, with the proportion of unconventional water supply rise to 38% and 61%, respectively. This study can provide a decision-making tool for policy-makers to explore plausible policy scenarios necessary for bridging the gap between the water supply and demand in megacities.

Factors associated with interpersonal firearm violence in men in the municipalities of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2009-2019

A problem observed in Brazil throughout the rest of Latin America, violence is a consequence of an imbalance in socioeconomic, political and cultural conditions, resulting from the abuse of economic and political powers and a policy of equitable distribution of living conditions and work, transforming this context. This study has a cross-sectional design, using secondary data and approaches in space and time. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was performed using the Moran Index in two steps: calculation of the Global Moran Index (I) for each explanatory variable and analysis of Local Moran Index (LISA) between each explanatory variable and the average rate, with those with the highest values of Local Moran Index being selected. Higher values of this index were observed in the variables rate of unemployed persons, people with inadequate water supply and sanitary sewage, SVI and proportion of people with income below half the minimum wage, with were selected as explanatory variables. The spatial correlation between interpersonal firearm violence and the variables presented can be interpreted as an indicator of inequality and social deprivation, resulting in conditions of vulnerability, present in Brazilian society.

Assessing groundwater quality in peri-urban Accra, Ghana: Implications for drinking and irrigation purposes

In many developing countries, cities are faced with rising water demand due to rapidly increasing population, inadequate municipal water supply and growing sanitation pressure. Consequently, groundwater resources are being heavily relied on to meet the demand. However, the long-term supply and quality of groundwater are threatened by multiple anthropogenic pressures. This study assessed the quality and suitability of groundwater available to more than 600,000 inhabitants in several peri-urban communities in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Thirty-six (36) borehole samples were analysed for their suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes based on relevant physicochemical parameters. In addition, water quality index (WQI), sodium absorption ratio, and relevant statistical plots were employed to assess the groundwater's quality and suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes. The results indicate that almost all parameters measured were within the WHO recommended limits for drinking water for most samples. This is reflected in the classification of 92% of water samples as good or excellent quality for domestic purposes using WQI. The abundance of ions in groundwater followed the trend: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations, and Cl− > SO42− > HCO3− > F− > NO3− for anions. By using principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses, the study identified mineral dissolution and anthropogenic activities as the main factors influencing groundwater chemistry in the study area. These factors resulted in mixed water types, viz: Na–Ca–Mg–Cl and Na–Ca–Mg–SO4, and Na–Cl as the dominant water type. Classifications based on the Wilcox and USSL diagrams suggest that groundwater in the study area is generally suitable for irrigation. Given that these boreholes are new, the results from this study represent background levels and have important implications for groundwater development and management in the rapidly developing capital of Ghana.

Thermal-localized and salt-resistant polyacrylonitrile/polyvinylidene fluoride aerogel for efficient solar desalination

Solar desalination is considered as an effective and environmental-friendly pathway against global water scarcity but still suffers from unnecessary heat loss, inadequate water supply, and salt deposition. To address these issues, this work proposes that a PAN/PVDF@ nano carbon black composite aerogel (PPCA) fabricated by a new “multi-angle splicing freezing” method in dimethyl sulfoxide solvent can realize stable and efficient evaporation on the water surface. PPCA with inclined channels ensures higher pressure and faster flow rate, meanwhile the hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface can prevent water transmission and localize heat. Benefitted from this structure, PPCA delivers highly efficient energy (93.2%) under 1.0 sun, stable water output (~1.46 kg m−2 h−1), and exhibits a superior salt-resistant property without salt deposition on the evaporation surface even in the simulated Dead Sea for continuous 24 h illumination. With the stable evaporation performance of high-salinity brine, this design has great potential for sustainable solar desalination.

The Mining Legacy of William S. Godbe

The Mining Legacy of William S. Godbe

The effect of smart fertigation systems on chilli grown in a greenhouse for urban farming

AbstractReasonable fertigation methods are essential for plant growth, as excessive or inadequate water and fertilizer supply can lead to plant diseases, resource consumption, or even crop production reduction. These problems are common to local farmers in Malaysia, especially for large‐scale chilli cultivation using traditional irrigation approaches in rural areas. These problems need to be addressed, as chilli are one of Malaysia's high‐cash crops with massive local demands. Realizing an efficient irrigation control approach using an innovative fertigation method is a potential solution to tackle such problems. This paper proposes a smart fertigation system for chilli cultivation in greenhouses in urban areas to increase chilli production and improve irrigation management. The proposed system utilized the fuzzy logic method for intelligent irrigation decisions, where the decision is based on the input data provided by soil moisture, temperature, and humidity sensors. In addition, the proposed system can monitor and control irrigation in the greenhouse remotely through a website that was developed using the Hostinger platform. The results showed that the fuzzy‐based fertigation approach produced approximately 50% irrigation application efficiency and a higher growth gradient and chilli yield than the traditional approach in both cycles.

Yield Depression in New Zealand Potato Crops Associated with Soil Compaction and Soil-Borne Diseases

AbstractIn New Zealand, potato crop yields of 90 t ha−1 are achievable but at 55 t ha−1, the average is becoming economically unsustainable. In 2012/13, a grower-initiated survey found that Rhizoctonia solani and Spongospora subterranea (soil-borne pathogens) and soil compaction were widespread in 11 Canterbury potato crops. Targeted areas in these crops had measured yield losses of 0 (healthy plants) – 42 (diseased, resource constrained plants) t ha−1, limiting the farmer-measured field yield to a 56 t ha−1 average. In 2014/15, growth, water use and health of three contrasting crops were measured. Near-potential yield was achieved in one crop when disease incidence and severity were low and resources adequate. The other two crops yielded less than potential; one had an inadequate water supply and the other widespread soil-borne disease. Any suspected links between soil-borne disease, soil compaction and yield were further investigated by using them as factors in replicated experiments reported elsewhere.

Comparative analysis of groundwater potentiality zone using fuzzy AHP, frequency ratio and Bayesian weights of evidence methods

Groundwater resource management in the urban area is one of the important aspects because of growing population demand and having inadequate water supply. So, proper information is needed to manage the future urban planning for such kinds of areas. This study emphasizes groundwater potentiality zone (GPZ) assessment in the Asansol urban agglomeration (AUA) region, West Bengal, India. For this purpose, we have incorporated eight conditioning factors namely LULC, lithology, slope, elevation, rainfall, drainage density, lineaments density, and soil map using conventional and remote sensing data in GIS software. All these conditioning factors have been reclassified in ArcGIS and processed by the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), frequency ratio (FR), and Bayesian weights of evidence (BWOE) statistical methods. Then, the groundwater potential index has been formulated, and finally, GPZ maps are generated based on of selected three models. The result shows that very high area of GPZ, e.g. 9.13%, 11.62% and 7.43% are under BWOE, FR and FAHP models, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic validation curves show that FR method (AUC = 96.4%) is well obtained for GPZ in comparison with both BWOE (AUC = 83.8%) and FAHP methods (AUC = 82.9%). Therefore, this statistical method is highly recommended for the study of groundwater potential assessment and this outcome is very suitable for the groundwater resources management in future land use planning. Precautionary works in low potential areas should be given priority for long-term planning. Thus, this study can be considered as a good document for decision support in water exploitation planning and sustainable groundwater management in AUA region.

Challenges Facing Women’s Community Vegetable Gardening in the Echobeni area of KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa

Abstract This paper presented the results of a qualitative study on challenges to community gardens as a livelihood strategy in a rural community. The paper aimed to generate knowledge on the manifestations of the challenges and what could be done to minimise them. Its objective was to describe the challenges to community gardens. The paper used a qualitative case study of community vegetable gardens in the Echobeni area situated on the south coast of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Interviewing method was used. Five purposefully sampled participants from a population of 20 women engaged in vegetable gardening in the Echobeni area were interviewed. The study identified seven challenges, namely: lack of institutional support and leadership support; vandalism; pests; lack of knowledge and marketing; land tenure; inadequate water supply; and lack of motivation. The study recommended the need for capacity building, the adoption of a sustainable livelihoods’ framework, the promotion of institutional linkages, security of land tenure, and encouraging the participation of the rural youth.

Temperature and precipitation gradients determine biomass in Birch (Betula spp.) and Fir (Abies spp.) in Eurasia.

Forest ecosystems are sinks of atmospheric carbon and maintain annual temperature. On the other hand, climate change entails changes in all the biota structures and functions, including forest cover and biomass. Temperature and precipitation are the main deterministic factors in species biomass change. Therefore, we compared the biomass of Betula spp. and Abies spp. at the stand level along trans-Eurasian hydrothermal gradients. We analyzed the biomass database of Betula and Abies forest stands in Eurasia. Climate variables explained about 14 and 16% of the total biomass variability in Betula and Abies, respectively. Our results showed that increasing temperature and precipitation positively impacted fir biomass. However, a negative impact was reported on needles and branches due to insufficient humidity. In birch forests, positive trends occur from cold to warm climate zones, but only when there is inadequate water supply. A negative correlation was reported in the moist areas. Most of the birch biomass components only increased in the precipitation gradient in cold climate zones. This positive trend transformed to negative in warm zones (except for branches). We modeled the possible temporal biomass change of tree species based on its territorial pattern in Eurasia using the principle of space-for-time substitution. The developments of models for the main forest-forming species of Eurasia allow us to predict changes in the productivity of the forest cover of Eurasia.

Concentration Levels of Heavy Metals and Other Parameters in Water Borehole around Mogadishu Area, Somalia

The need for clean and safe consumable water is of vital importance to any society since water is an essential substance for the sustenance of life. Mogadishu is one of the rapidly growing cities in the world with a high population, resulting in poor levels of sanitation and an inadequate clean water supply system. A total of 6 water samples were analyzed from the Mogadishu region in seven sites namely, Rer M.Shiekh, Gorgor, Umu batula, Cisse qodax, Soonikia (digfer), and Tarabuuna (umu caisha) respectively to assess the levels of heavy metals. The levels of selected heavy metals analyzed were Cd, Zn, and Pb, the analysis was done by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer and other parameters analyzed were the level of pH, fluoride, chloride, nitrate, water hardness, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids (TDS), and the status of water borehole quality in the Southern Mogadishu region, Somalia. The results were compared with World Health Organization (WHO). pH values ranged (8.1-8.9) which were below WHO standard limits except for Cisse qodax borehole (8.9) which was higher than WHO standard limits. Other value for parameters were fluoride (0.28-0.596 mg/L); chloride (279.57-888.92 mg/L); nitrate (4.27-146.6 mg/L); electrical conductivity (1.428-3.280 mS /cm); hardness (229.32-501.76 mg/L); total dissolved solids (1340-3428 mg/L); cadmium (0.03-0.07 mg/L). Lead and zinc were not detected. Hardness, chloride, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), cadmium values were higher than WHO standard limits. Nitrate values were below WHO standard limits except for Umu batula borehole (60.92 mg/L) and Rer M.shiekh borehole (146.6 mg/L) which are values higher than WHO standard limits. All boreholes had low fluoride content. However high cadmium concentration is of much concern health-wise. The presence of heavy metals in the water borehole is of concern since they could impact negatively on human health even at low levels due to their accumulation. This study is of significance in providing information on the heavy metals content of the selected water boreholes in Mogadishu, information that is currently lacking considering the management issues in the Country. Further, it could help in mapping out the boreholes based on their water quality.

Application of a Water Supply-Demand Balance Model to Set Priorities for Improvements in Water Supply Systems: A Case Study from the Koshi River Basin, Nepal.

Water scarcity is one of the leading challenges for sustainable development in the context of climate change, particularly for agriculturally reliant countries. Inadequate water supplies tend to generate environmental and health issues. Improvements in water supply systems should give priority to the region with the most severe mismatch between water supply and demand. To set priorities for the improvement of water supply systems, this study proposed a water supply-demand balance model to quantify the water supply-demand gap in the Koshi River basin and compared it with the traditional water vulnerability model. The results suggested that (1) the water supply-demand balance model had good applicability to the Koshi River basin and was superior to traditional models in identifying the region with the most severe mismatch; (2) the shortage of agricultural water was much more serious than that of domestic water in the basin; (3) the largest supply-demand gap of domestic water was in Tarai and that of agricultural water was in the hill areas; and (4) Four districts, including Lalitpur, Mahottari, Makwanpur, and Solukhumbu, were found to be the most water-stressed regions and priority should be given to them. Based on these findings, the priority setting in the improvement of water supply systems and adaptation strategies for mitigating water stress from the perspectives of the government, communities, and households were presented. It helps design water supply systems that match heterogeneous demands and optimize systems operation. Targeted improvements in water supply systems can make limited funds available to benefit more residents.

GIS and Surfer Applications in Study of Water Quality

Water is the most important natural resource for living things which is employed for domestic and industrial activities and also for agricultural purposes. The recent flood has affected various regions of Kerala resulting in decrease of water quality and inadequate supply of safe potable water. The project aims to study the water quality of ‘Mayyil - Panchayath’ by incorporating modern water quality assessment tools. GIS based attempt has been employed to evaluate and characterize the quality of water. The water samples from the study area were analysed for physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters and compared to water quality standards (IS 10500-2012). Further Water Quality Index (WQI) method integrated with GIS is used to visualize the spatial pattern of the water quality.

Menstrual hygiene practice among adolescent girls in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Adolescent girls face several challenges relating to menstruation and its proper management. Lack of adequate sanitary products, inadequate water supply, and privacy for changing sanitary pads continue to leave adolescent girls with limited options for safe and proper menstrual hygiene in many low-income settings, including Ethiopia. These situations are also compounded by societal myths, stigmas surrounding menstruation, and discriminatory social norms. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of safe menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in Ethiopia using the available studies. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journal Online (AJOL), Hinari, Science Direct, ProQuest, Direct of Open Access Journals, POPLINE, and Cochrane Library database inception to May 31, 2021. Studies reporting the proportion of menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in Ethiopia were considered. The Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 tests were used to assess the heterogeneity of the included studies. Since the included studies revealed considerable heterogeneity, a random effect meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled proportion of menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Of 1,045 identified articles, 22 studies were eligible for analysis (n = 12,330 participants). The pooled proportion (PP) of safe MHM in Ethiopia was 52.69% (95%CI: 44.16, 61.22). The use of commercial menstrual absorbents was common 64.63% (95%CI: 55.32, 73.93, I2 99.2%) followed by homemade cloth 53.03% (95%CI: 22.29, 83.77, I2 99.2%). Disposal of absorbent material into the latrine was the most common practice in Ethiopia 62.18% (95%CI: 52.87, 71.49, I2 98.7%). One in four girls reported missing one or more school days during menstruation (PP: 32.03%, 95%CI: 22.65%, 41.40%, I2 98.2%). This study revealed that only half of the adolescent girls in Ethiopia had safe MHM practices. To ensure that girls in Ethiopia can manage menstruation hygienically and with dignity, strong gender-specific water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities along with strong awareness creation activities at every level are needed.

SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF SUICIDE IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL AND ASSOCIATED SOCIAL FACTORS

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the spatial pattern of mortality due to suicide and social factors associated with its occurrence. Method: an ecological study that used data from the Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade, SIM) from 2008 to 2018. The unadjusted and Bayesian mean mortality rates were calculated for each northeastern municipality and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) non-spatial and spatial regression models were used. Results: the highest mortality rates due to suicide are especially concentrated in the municipalities of Piauí and Ceará. The predictive variables of suicide were as follows: Gini Index (p<0.001), unemployment rate ≥ 18 years old (p<0.001), Municipal Human Development Index (p<0.001), illiteracy rate ≥ 18 years old (p<0.001), per capita income (p<0.001), percentage of people in homes with inadequate walls (p=0.003), percentage of people in homes with inadequate water supply and sewage (p<0.001), and percentage of people vulnerable to poverty who commute for more than one hour to work (p<0.001). Conclusion: eight predictive variables of mortality due to suicide in the Northeast region were identified that act as risk or protective factors, depending on the municipality under study.