Vol. 2, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Flood-prone regions experience repeated cycles of water contamination, infrastructural disruption, and heightened transmission of waterborne diseases, making safe water storage an essential public health priority ^{[1, 2]}. Community nurses, who act as frontline health professionals in rural, disaster-vulnerable populations, have a significant role in health education, risk communication, and behavioural modification interventions ^[6-8]. Despite the increasing severity of floods caused by climate variability, many rural communities continue to rely on unsafe water storage methods such as open containers, wide-mouthed vessels, and unchlorinated sources, which substantially increase the risk of diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, and other waterborne infections ^{[3-5, 15]}. These risks are further exacerbated by poor sanitation facilities, cultural habits, and limited awareness regarding hygienic water handling ^[11-13].

This research examines the role of community nurses in promoting safe household water storage practices in flood-affected villages, with particular focus on their community-based interventions, capacity-building approaches, and behavioural outcomes. Community nurses often serve as the primary link between health systems and households, and their efforts in vulnerable settings are crucial to strengthening preventive health behaviours ^{[6, 7, 9]}. Through observational assessments and structured educational sessions, nurses addressed key determinants of unsafe storage, including lack of awareness, economic constraints, contamination risks after floods, and persistent cultural practices ^{[12, 14]}. Their interventions included demonstrations on cleaning storage containers, promoting the use of narrow-necked vessels, advocating routine chlorination, and encouraging protective covering of household water supplies—practices shown to significantly reduce contamination levels ^{[3, 12]}.

The findings of this research indicate that nurse-led interventions led to improved household adoption of safe water storage practices, increased awareness of contamination pathways, and enhanced household-level monitoring of stored water. Post-intervention observations revealed measurable improvements in container hygiene, reduced exposure to environmental contaminants, and better adherence to recommended safe storage guidelines ^{[11, 16]}. Additionally, households reported a decline in common waterborne illnesses, consistent with established research linking improved water storage to reduced disease burden ^{[4, 15]}. The research therefore highlights that community nurses play a pivotal role not only in educating local populations but also in fostering sustainable behavioural change in flood-prone settings.

Strengthening the training, resources, and community engagement mechanisms available to community nurses can further enhance health outcomes in similar disaster-prone regions. Integrating behaviour-change communication tools, continuous surveillance mechanisms, and community participation strategies can significantly improve water safety and resilience in vulnerable rural populations ^{[9, 10, 17]}. Overall, the research underscores the essential contribution of community nurses in reducing waterborne disease risks and improving community resilience by promoting safe water storage practices in flood-prone villages.