In some countries, water shortages don't mean warnings to not water your grass during the middle of the day or to put out the tuna can and monitor how much you water, they mean loss of crops - potentially the family's food for the coming year. It means walking an additional distance to the next closest water source - just to have water to drink and to use for cooking and cleaning. Hopefully, the neighboring community is willing to share their water source or it could lead to conflict.
According to the UN, "Average water use ranges from 200-300 litres a person a day in most countries in Europe to less than 10 litres in countries such as Mozambique. People lacking access to improved water in developing countries consume far less, partly because they have to carry it over long distances and water is heavy. For the 884 million people or so people in the world who live more than 1 kilometre from a water source, water use is often less than 5 litres a day of unsafe water."
Many areas are effected by drought, or lack of access to water, but the Sahel Region in Africa is one of the areas of greatest growing concern.
In some areas, quantity can be addressed by tapping into the under ground water supply. Simply digging wells can bring a new resource to a community. Finding improved ways to collect and store water may also be a key solution in some areas - there is often too much water during rainy season and then drought in between. Having a way to capture and store that water can greatly assist in long-term water sustainability. Water Catchments such as the one pictured below are another commonly seen option - especially around schools.
Such systems offer a band-aid, as long as a rainy season exists. Though, with changing weather patterns, a long-term sustainable solution is desperately needed. If you can figure this one out, I think there is a Nobel prize with your name on it!
No comments:
Post a Comment