Comments due by April 20, 2018
Water inequality is increasing in the world’s
most environmentally stressed nations, warn the authors of a report that shows more than 800 million
people need to travel and queue for at least 30 minutes to access safe
supplies.
Despite an overall increase in provision of
tap water, the study - the State of the World’s Water 2018
- charts the gaps within and between nations, as poor communities face
competition over aquifers and rivers with agriculture and factories producing
goods for wealthier consumers.
While recent headlines have focused on
the drought in Cape Town, the NGO WaterAid, which
published the report on Wednesday, noted that communities in many other regions
have long been used to queues and limited supplies.
By far the worst affected country is Eritrea,
where only 19% of the population have basic access to water. It is followed by
Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Somalia, all of which have rates of between 37% and 40%. It is no coincidence
that many of these nations have large numbers of refugees living in temporary
shelters.
Within countries, there is also considerable
variation linked to income and other factors. In Niger, only 41% of the poorest
people have access to water, while 72% of its wealthiest do. In neighbouring
Mali, 45% of the poor have access to water, compared to 93% of the rich.
“Inequality in access to water is growing
primarily as a result of a lack of political will,” said Lisa Schechtman, the
director of policy and advocacy for WaterAid.
“There is a risk of leaving people behind,
particularly in remote rural areas and among displaced communities.”
Most vulnerable are the old, sick, disabled
and displaced people in remote or rural locations.
Gender is also a key factor because woman bear
the brunt of the burden of collecting water. The time-consuming task of
fetching the UN-recommended 50-litres per day for a family of four takes the
equivalent of two and half months each year, the report says.
Collecting water time in school and raises the
risks of disease. Children are often the victims, with close to 289,000 dying
each year from diarrhoeal illnesses related to poor sanitation.
There have been improvements. The proportion
of the world’s population with access to clean water near their home has risen
from 81% to 89% since 2000. But this leaves 844 million people with a journey
and queues of at least 30 minutes to a safe source.
The greatest progress has been seen in big,
fast-growing developing nations. China has seen an extra 334 million people get
access to water between 2000 and 2015, followed by India with 301 million.
The biggest proportional gain was in
Afghanistan, where a post-war reconstruction effort raised the proportion of
people with access to water from 27% to 62% since 2000. Laos, Yemen, Mozambique
and Mali have also seen rapid progress.
However, the report notes the world still has
much work to do to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goal 6, which is to
provide safe water and sanitation to everyone by 2030.
This summer, world leaders will meet in New
York to review progress on this and other development targets.
To close this gap, WaterAid is calling for
more tax revenue to be mobilised to provide water for the poorest, improved
environmental management and support for people who speak out on the
UN-recognised right to safe drinking supplies and sanitation.
The problem of access is increasingly
complicated by climate change, pollution and a growing global population.
A separate report by the UN earlier this
week forecast that 5 billion people could face shortages for at least one month
a year by 2050.
Jonathan Farr, WaterAid’s senior policy
analyst on water security and climate change, said recent droughts highlighted
how extreme weather is adding to water stress on the poorest. “Cape Town is a
wake-up call, reminding us that access to water, our most precious resource, is
increasingly under threat.
“Those marginalised by age, gender, class,
caste or disability, or living in a slum or remote rural community, are hardest
to reach and will continue to suffer as long as governments do not prioritise
and fund access to water for all, and while disproportionate use of water by
industry and agriculture continues.”
It is shocking how many people in the world do not have access to clean and safe water. In the United States it is very easy to take water for granted, but we have even seen problems domestically in recent history. The Flint water crisis made national news, and California has experienced droughts. I think it is very important to take this issue seriously and I agree that more tax revenue should be used to address this problem. Something as necessary as water should never be so difficult to come across. Water should not be one of the luxuries of the rich. The statistics about children are particularly startling. 289,000 children die very preventable deaths. Going to school here it is hard to imagine not being able to find a water fountain and know that the water coming from it is clean and safe. I also think about those who are sick and need to hydrate even more than usual. I am curious to hear about what happens after the conference coming up in New York. I am glad that improvements have been made, with the percent of the worlds population with access to clean water increasing from 81% to 89%. However, this percentage should be near 100%.
ReplyDeleteIt’s eye opening to see how increasing water scarcity is becoming since water is often taken for granted here in the US. We don’t realize how much water we waste when we leave the faucet running or don’t finish water bottles. Our country is a water rich nation compared to others so we sometimes forget how good we have it. When we need water, we have the resources to give it to us. Whether it’s from the sink or bathtub or stores that provide water. Those in Eritrea, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda don’t and need to walk miles for a drop of water, most of which include women and children. Their water is not even clean, so the chances of disease are high. Providing safe water and sanitation is essential to these areas. In order to do this, we need to invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities, and encourage hygiene at all levels. We also need to protect and restore water-related ecosystems like forests, mountains, wetlands, and rivers. To encourage water efficiency and support treatment technologies in developing countries, international cooperation is needed.
ReplyDeleteFor a resource that is so valuable to human life, it is amazing how many people still struggle to gain access to clean drinking water. From Flint to Cape Town and the many countries in between, the daily chore of gathering drinking water is unbelievable, especially considering how we may take things for granted living in the dorms of Pace's NYC campus where theres a running faucet a few steps away. Despite the current struggle to access drinking water, the world has made progress to help people who have it the worst and the UN continues to try and accomplish this mission despite recent controversies. Yet even in the United States, may still struggle to gain access to clean drinking water and we must be more mindful about how we treat our water systems and how privatization of water may exclude those who are most vulnerable from gaining access to water. It is important for all countries to cooperate, especially since many think that lack of access to clean drinking water is likely to spark World War III.
ReplyDeleteDeShawn McLeod
ReplyDeleteStemming from the article about a water shortage in Cape Town, it’s unfortunate that water access is extremely difficult for the poor of second- and third-world countries. The problems that arise in sustainable development and sustainable growth seem to stem from the natural inclinations of greed in humans. While it’s been enlightening to learn about these issues, it’s dismal to think that in my life time, shortages (based off greed) can exponentially increase without any give.
It’s actually been dismal learning about all these issues and being introduced to things that should regularly be in the classrooms of today’s youth rather than an expensive college course. I’ve noticed throughout this class that, Professor Karam has been trying to make a point that people are naturally ignorant and informing that ignorance is key to catalyze a change in the world.
Prof. Karam has opened my eyes to see how inequality can span much farther than the borders of the US. And, how that inequality is much more intense in poorer countries. I’ve realized, especially via this class– Sustainable Development and Environmental Economics–and staying in a second-world countries that the problems of the US (and their poor) are a drop in the bucket to what others experience around the world.
The way Prof. Karam has informed us this entire semester, I keep wishing that could further be expanded into the classrooms of public schools and beyond. The information we’ve learned here is vital to eradicating ignorance, however, it’s not the duty of this informed class to combat national or global ignorance.
However, I think the duty of this class is to inform the ignorance of our peers with the information that has been bestowed upon us. In light of sustainable development, I realize it’s not just saving the trees or saving endangered species, it’s ultimately to save humanity from itself. Sustainable development encompasses a myriad of problems that are economic, social, and political. I never knew these issues spanned that deep into the fabric of the reality humans have currently made for themselves.
It’s mind altering what this class has done and I appreciate having my mind expanded in this way.
Thanks Prof. Karam!
According to the report published by WaterAid, one in every nine people does not have access to clean water close to their home. Nearly 60% of the world’s population lives in an area where the water supply available cannot keep up with demand. The water supply crisis is something that is often overlooked by much of the world’s population because in Western civilization, we take our clean water availability for granted. It is interesting that the water crisis is being discussed more predominantly in the media now since Cape Town is the one facing a severe drought. People are beginning to take notice since a place like Cape Town is very developed and not like the other poor regions that more typically experience severe droughts and are almost always suffering from a water crisis. Like the report states, Cape Town is just ONE of the several places around the world that is suffering. And the difference with Cape Town is that there are many government officials attempting to address the problem. More developed countries have improved tremendously with the backing support of their governments, however very poor countries are still being affected the worse. The UN’s goal of providing safe water and sanitation to everyone by 2030 seems awfully farfetched, but it is better to have a goal than to have none. The biggest issue is that governments are not prioritizing increasing access to water because as we know from the Cape Town case, it can be very costly. As Jonathan Farr from WaterAid said, “access to water, our most precious resource, is increasingly under threat.” This is not only apparent in Cape Town, but even in our own backyard: Flint, Michigan. We need to realize that clean water should not be taken for granted because there is still so much work to be done worldwide. The fact that a place in the extremely developed United States can suffer from a water crisis for years shows just how vulnerable the water supply is to risks. Reports came out saying that in order to fix the water problem in Flint, it would cost over $55 million and be a very extensive project. The Federal Government currently says the water in Flint is fine, however residents beg to differ and are having a hard time trusting it. The fact that the United States cannot even figure this issue out is signal enough that the UN needs to step in to begin helping the poorest countries establish plans for clean water.
ReplyDeletePeidong Yang
ReplyDeleteThe topic of water scarcity has been discussed in the previous Cape Town. In this week’s post, more emphasis is put on the water sanitation and the inequities in access to water. Water sanitation is a problem as grave as the water scarcity. Undoubtedly, access to the safe water resource is one basic human right, but every year, 840,000 people around the world die from various diseases caused by unsafe water.
The poor water quality is a complex issue, caused by several factors, such as inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene practices, and increasing pollution. I think government plays a vital role in ensuring the water quality. Governments should establish higher sanitation standard and enforce local officials and companies to implement these policies strictly. On the other hand, more government-supported programs can be introduced, such as installing more advanced water- cleaning system in both cities and villages. For instance, PSI is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve people in developing countries to have healthier lives. PSI initiated good water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices to enhance quality care in clinics and hospitals, and prevent other diseases. PSI both works with private and public sectors. Private sector is the most effective way to reach low-income residents, because people can buy products and services through local providers. Cooperation with public sectors, like government and international donors, can provide financial support for low-income households who are unable to buy WASH products.
Enabling more people to get access to water largely demands the political power. China sets a good example of geographic disparity in water availability. Two basic policies were adopted by Chinese government, one is South-North Water Transfer Project, and another is limiting the overall water demand. The SNWTP aims to transfer some 45 billion cubic meters of water per year from central and southwest China to Yellow river in order to meet the growing demand of water in North cities, such as Beijing (Scott Moore, 2013). As for the second policy, Chinese government declared all water resources to be property of the state in 2002, and in 2012, it also limited the total national water consumption to less than 700 billion cubic meters per year.
Reference
Scott Moore, February 12, 2013. Issue Brief: Water Resource Issues, Policy and Politics in China.
Available from:
https://www.brookings.edu/research/issue-brief-water-resource-issues-policy-and-politics-in-china/
There is no doubt that water scarcity has been increasing worldwide. To begin with, fresh water only makes up 3% of our entire planet (whereby 2/3 of this 3% is frozen) and salt water makes up the rest of the 97%. Desalination technologies have been experimented with but are typically very expensive. However, there is a desalination technique that has been created by researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt called pervaporation that is actually quite affordable since it can be made with using cheap materials that can be locally sourced. Pervaporation uses synthetic membranes to filter out large salt particles and other mineral impurities from seawater via evaporation processes. The vaporization doesn’t actually require any electricity, which makes it fairly “sustainable” because there is no energy requirement that would release GHGs.
ReplyDeleteMoving forward, in developed countries large-scale agriculture (for food, as well as clothing (cotton)) and livestock grazing are major consumers of water. This brings back the notion of a shift towards normalizing a vegetarian diet and how this shift would affect the various inputs that are involved with producing food. For instance, one could factor in the opportunity cost and externalities involved in the production of food to conserve water.
In general, water conservation is the most tangible solution to this problem of water scarcity. We need to make conscious personal decisions (like what to wear, consume, etc.) to further the efforts of water conservation and attempt to bring awareness to those around us. Water conservation itself is probably the most cost-effective solution to this problem as well as the most environmentally efficient. Less overall water use will not only reduce ecological stresses on the environment, but also help us use less energy by conserving stocks of infrastructure.
“The human brain now holds the key to our future. We have to recall the image of the planet from outer space: a single entity in which air, water, and continents are interconnected. That is our home.” – David Suzuki
Water is a necessary resource in order to sustain life. It seems unreal that something that many take for granted, others must travel miles upon miles and wait in line to get clean water where most can just turn a faucet handle and have clean water at their whim. Relating back to the topic on Cape Town, there are many other nations that also suffer from lack of water. It is heartbreaking to think there are countries out there where only 19% of the population have acess to clean water (Eritrea). I also find it irritating how in certain countries, the division of wealth is the determinant if you have access to water or not. Thsi is a resource that is necessary to sustain life, it should be equally accessable to all. We must look towards political leaders or social programs in order to work on giving clean water to all. If the 6th sustainable goal is ever to be achieved, this is what must be done. Considering there are still an estimated 800 million people without easily accessable clean water, these programs should remain a point of interest. If the goal is to supply everyone with clean water by 2030, I do not think that it is attainable. Considering the fact that since 2000, it has only risen by 8%, we have 12% to move and only 12 years to work with. that would mean that in 18 years we got 8%, so in two-thirds the time we would need to increase accessable water by 4% more. Thus, for this goal to be attainable, we must continue to act. Also, as population continues to rise, we must also incur that growth into supplying these areas with more sanitated water. It is important for government and investors to focus on low wealth areas because they are the ones who struggle the most with acquiring clean water. We have issues at our homefront, Michigan for example. But the issues abroad are much more dire. Considering the nation of Mali, where the divide of wealth drastically impacts who has access to clean water; it is important for government to focus resources on these areas because they clearly are not getting the help that they need. Clean water is a necessity to sustain life, if the scarcity of this resource continues to grow, we can expect turmoil to follow; inevitably.
ReplyDeleteNicholas Arciszewski
Lingyi Meng
ReplyDeleteWater inequality and scarcity is a concern in many countries in the world. In fact, it was included in the UN’s sustainability development as goal 6; which is to provide safe water and sanitation to everyone by 2030. Currently, more than 800 million people are faced with water shortage and forced to travel and queue for at least half an hour to access safe water. The most affected places include Eritrea, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, and DRC with all having only less than 40% of population with access to water.
Despite water scarcity, water inequality has also become a major challenge in most places in the world. Some countries have a low percentage of the poor people having access to water as compared to the percentage of the rich who have access to water. It has been argued out that water inequality is majorly due to lack of political will.
Consequences of water shortage and long distances and queues that people have to make to access water are enormous. There is time wastage that lowers countries economy, high mortality rate related to poor sanitation diseases, and also poor education.
Despite water shortage and inequality being a major challenge, there has been improvement in some areas. Since 2000, the proportion of world’s population with access to clean water has risen significantly. Higher changes have been recorded in china and India with an increase of more ha 300 million people getting access to clean water. However, there is also a possibility of future increase of water problem due to climate change, pollution and population increase.
It is shocking and upsetting that in today’s world, with all the technology and advancements that have occurred over the years that more than half of the people struggle to gain access to clean water. Water, the one of the most vital resources, is not readily available and there are numerous deaths and diseases because of it. It is awful that it takes a disaster, such as Day Zero for Cape Town for this discussion to be stirred up again. Because water is readily available here, it is not something that crosses many Americans minds on a daily basis. We take it for granted, and therefore do not realize that countless other countries are without access. Attention is focused on other issues; yet this one is life threatening, and one that could potentially spread westward depending on climate change and other environmental issues. The UN stepping in will hopefully activate change. It seems that it needs to start within the individual countries in order to drive political and economic action. This is among the many inequality issues that the elderly, poor, disabled face, however, lack of access to clean water is neglecting a basic human right. Because of this, it is crucial that the UN stimulates change and sets realistic and achievable goals and paths. Though this is a costly task, it needs to be the primary focus. Aiming to solve this problem would hopefully help combat others, such as disease or crime. The increases that WaterAid gave above were inspiring, yet the basis of the issue needs to be more aggressively addressed in order to combat the issue. I think that even countries that have access to water, like the US, should prepare for a decrease in water supply, and have tactics in place for when the water supply is threatened or there is a sanitary scare.
ReplyDeleteEven though water covers 70 percent of Earth, it is definitely not plentiful. From this 70% percent of water—only 3 percent of it is freshwater, which is what we use to drink, bathe and take care of the agriculture system with. It is also important to keep in mind that from this 3 percent, two-thirds of this water is in the glaciers that we have on earth today which is not attainable. As a result of this there are 1.1 billion people across the globe that have a lack of access to water, and also 2.7 billion who find water scare for at least a month of the year.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy to think that something that is so available to us here in the United States, people around the world struggle trying to attain. Water consumption is necessary for every living species on the Earth, yet there are so many places that are experiencing these shortages. The water shortage problem is truly alarming since many advancements have been made in technology and in policy. It is crazy to think that something that is so crucial and should be attainable is such a strenuous process for some people around the world. The UN report states that “The time-consuming task of fetching the UN-recommended 50-litres per day for a family of four takes the equivalent of two and half months each year.” This means that nearly 21 percent of the women’s time is devoted to collecting water for their families. As opposed to the United States where we can turn on the sink or the hose and have endless amounts of water.
These water shortages around the globe can be credited to climate change. The more humans continue to pump carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the more the weather and water patterns will change around the world. The reactions to climate change can range from droughts to floods to glaciers, which will all affect the freshwater supply that is available. This ultimately will result in a less amount of water that is attainable for communities.
Daniella Antolino
ReplyDeleteI have been aware of how scarce water is in certain parts of the world but I didn't realize how bad this is. I was really saddened to hear only 19% of the population have basic access to water. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, all of which have rates of between 37% and 40%. This is an extremely low amount of water available. especially how women have to constantly bring water back and go fetch for some on a daily basis which can become contaminated as well as not the best water to be injecting. They are struggling tremedously and it is so sad to see. This isn't just a problem in countries that aren't as developed as the US. It is a problem here as well. It doesn't cross our minds on a daily basis but we are going to come across issues with water. This is a global issue. Just because some countries are experiencing this more than others doesn't mean it wont happen to us.
The United States is being affected as well. For example, California has been in a drought for many years now. When you sit at a table in California for dinner they aren't suppose to bring water to the table unless you request it. Now many people in NY would think it is weird or odd to have water unavailable to them but if we don't make changes and stop global warming and contaminating water we are going to have the same issues in the future.
In the future there has to be changes, we already have people converting salt water into fresh water but when we run out of that what is going to happen? We need some regulations and preprocautions of how much water people use daily. We shouldn't leave water running because we have unlimited amounts (people believe we do) because we don't. Just because we have water available to us right now doesn't mean we always will. Water conservations seems like the most realistic and sufficient way to save water. Us as people need to be aware of the dangers and be cautious of how much water we waste on a daily basis. Easy changes as don't run the water when you're not using it, or don't let the shower run 10 minutes before getting in. All of those little changes can become a huge impact if everyone did it.
Access to clean water is a human right, not a privilege. Reading this article as an American in New York reminds me of my own privilege. America's capitalist system ensures that we will never be without water very long, which is why California's water drought is not a more pressing concern. We operate in this system and have technologies that allow us to transport water wherever we would like (even if that means importing water from elsewhere). In Michigan, the richest communities have access to clean water, while poorer communities, like Flint, struggle. This dynamic shows us that we are not so different from countries in Africa that our society and government has worked so hard to 'other'. This said, it is clear that inequality gaps are more drastic in other countries.
ReplyDeleteIn order to develop a society that is more equal and less selfish, we have to really examine all of our practices. We have to deconstruct our own minds so that we can comprehend functioning as a global community. I have no doubt that if nations spent less resources on the military industrial complex and the military that the concept of a global community would not feel so foreign. I also believe that if this happened, there would be a greater focus on peace and sustainability. I don't understand when people say it's idealistic and unrealistic to prioritize sustainability or say that it can't be done. As a global collective, we should always want to move towards something greater and better - even if it seems idealistic. It is not fair that just because I am in the New York I have almost an unlimited amount of water and that someone else does not. Neither of us chose these positions, but it is my responsibility as the person with easier access to amplify this injustice and concern. But, when we work together, we can work towards making sure everybody has access to water and their human rights. Equality and equity do not mean that privileged individuals have less of something, it means that underprivileged individuals have more of what they need to survive.
To think that these developing countries don't have access to clean water is terrible. Water is a human need for survival and we think about how these countries and how hard it is to even live. I look at NY and how we have the best tap water in the united states and it just makes you think that as a country we can possibly help give a solution. I think the UN having the idea for clean water for all being one of its biggest goals but a goal needs to become an action. We need to see drastic moves because this isn't just an average problem. Like stated previously water is necessary for human survival and I personally feel like this should be the UN's main priority but I do understand that there are alot of moving pieces that could conflict the goal. Anything that can be done should be done no matter how small because as everyone knows every contribution, every step counts. I look at this article and I think back to a previous one where the issue was a country running out of clean water and having to ration them off. Looking back that is a minor problem in a worldwide issue that needs to be fixed, now.
ReplyDeleteEarth has become lively because of water. However, due to the increasing human needs and human destruction, water resources are continuously depleting. It is becoming the “next oil”. In the next few decades, the supply of water resources will become the most serious practical problem faced by mankind in the 21st century, which may affect geopolitics, diplomacy, and even war and conflict.
ReplyDeleteWater has become a profound social crisis. The crisis of freshwater resources has seriously hampered sustainable development. Excessive water use by humans, water pollution and the introduction of exotic species cause freshwater systems in lakes, rivers, wetlands and underground aquifers to be destroyed or lost. The relationship between water resources and human beings is very close. Humans regard water as a source of sustaining life. In the course of historical development, human beings always gather in places where there is water and carry out economic activities. With the development of society and technological advancement, human beings have become more and more important to water. Water has become a profound social crisis. The crisis of freshwater resources has severely constrained sustainable development. Water use rates in many countries have surpassed the rate at which water is regenerated. Human overuse of water, water pollution, and the introduction of exotic species have caused the destruction or disappearance of freshwater systems in lakes, rivers, wetlands, and underground aquifers. In many countries, problems such as the disconnection of freshwater management policies from the actual local conditions have led to an increasing scarcity of water resources. Mankind faces severe crises and challenges.
Short of water is a severe issue for us nowadays. For us, it seems like the access to clean water supply is something for sure. However, still there are people out there without adequate water supply for their living. We may easily think that the Earth has a steady supply of water as 70% of the Earth is covered by water. Still, the freshwater that could be used for people’s living is rare. Therefore, the water scarcity is hard to sustain a large and growing population.
ReplyDeleteIn the previous blog, we have learned the water crisis in Cape Town. From that, I learned that cities shall prepare for the situation of water scarcity. The area experiencing water scarcity is not only limited to the places which are dry as what we have thought previously, it also extended to urban areas.
The lack of water supply may also influence other aspects. On one hand, it may lead to high operating cost for business to operate as the price of water will gradually on the rise. On the other hand, the lack of water will also leave burden on the society with less employment opportunities. In addition, it is obvious that the short of water supply will have its impact on agriculture, thus reducing the overall production capacity of the land to feed on the growing number of people. Other than the crops, the livestock may also be influenced.
Liyuan Zhang
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