We have recently been reminded of two of the biggest natural disasters of 2010. In January, it was one year since the earthquake in Haiti and six months after the worst floods in Pakistan's history.
Both disasters reminded us of the crucial role that access to clean water and sanitation plays, particularly in Haiti, where the initial devastation has been compounded by the ongoing cholera epidemic, which has taken almost 4,000 lives to date.
In Pakistan, such a far-reaching epidemic has thankfully so far largely been avoided, but as reconstruction continues, the importance of local community-based solutions for recovery is becoming more apparent.
An estimated 20 million people were displaced by the disaster and 2,000 lost their lives. In life the provision of safe, clean water and a safe, sanitary place to go to the toilet are essential. In a disaster area this is even more critical -- in crowded temporary shelters and camps, safe water, hygiene and sanitation facilities are vital to preventing the spread of disease.
In the wake of the Pakistan floods, millions of children and vulnerable adults were placed at immediate risk of diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation, in particular diarrhoea and cholera.
The flooding caused the destruction of water supply schemes, and without adequate sanitation facilities, scores of people were defecating in the open, spreading diseases around the makeshift camps.
WaterAid has been working in Pakistan since 1993 and in the aftermath of the flooding, our first priority was to focus on clean water and latrines for displaced people as they relocated to the relief camps.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all response to ensuring that people use safe water and sanitation facilities. Unfortunately traditional and cultural differences among the communities mean that it simply is not enough to build a latrine or provide clean water and expect people to use the services. Often deep-seated beliefs mean that even when a new toilet is available for use, community members will continue to defecate in the open, or use old water sources when clean water is newly available. This is compounded in emergency situations, where time constraints lead agencies to rush in, trying to reach people in the quickest way possible.
In Pakistan it meant that following the floods, some were unwilling to use emergency toilets communally. Many were not used to using latrines, or if they were, were not used to using shared facilities. Others were unwilling to drink purified water because of its unfamiliar taste. This meant that scores of people were defecating in the open, spreading human feces -- and disease -- around the camps.
Clearly, local knowledge is critically important -- simply building a latrine is only half the battle. And so in Pakistan we tried to overcome such challenges by involving the people living in the camps in the construction of emergency toilets in order to foster a sense of ownership and pride. This work was then replicated by other partners and agencies and it is notable that although around 30 deaths were reported due to diarrhoea in Sindh, there has been no major outbreak to date.
The situation -- particularly in Sindh -- is still dire, and we still have a long way to go before large numbers of people in Pakistan can return home. As reconstruction continues, we must remember that local solutions should always be at the heart of development. It is only through listening to the people in affected communities that we will be able to make long-lasting and sustainable progress in addressing widespread poverty. This is especially true when trying to inform people about sanitation and hygiene and bringing about a change in behavior. Local experience and capacity must be an integral part in work to restore everyday life.
Wray Herbert: Water, Water: Cornfield Creek Diary
Water crisis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USAID Environment: Water - Global Water Crisis
Others, such as respiratory infections, will not be changed by clean water.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/26/measles-scare-denver-international-airport/?test=latestnews
Unfortunately I don't think that there would or could have been any intervention in regards to sanitation and clean water supply that would have significantly alleviated the problems faced by the Pakistani people.
The sheer scale of this natural disaster, widely unreported and neglected in the western press, would have very serious consequences for even the United States to handle efficiently.
But as demonstrated real solutions can be in place for 'next time'. I would be particularly interested to see this type of intervention extended to Bangladesh as it suffers from catastrophic flooding far more often.
Solutions in the distribution of wealth and resources are probably the only solution , but I can't see that happening in the near future.
The aptly-named LifeStraw is an invention that could become one of the greatest life-savers in history. It is a 25 cm long, 29 mm diameter, plastic pipe filter and costs just a few dollars (the manufacturers originally informed us the price was around US$2.00
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http://www.disasteraidaustralia.org.au/news/95-media-release-water-2nd-sept2010.html
SkyHydrant Water Purification systems. ;
"Disaster Aid Australia has water purification systems that have been purpose built for disaster relief efforts. The water purification system is an Australian owned and made invention. Todate more than 550 units have been supplied to 26 countries. Each unit costs $5000," said Ms Heenan.
"Lack of water supplies and sanitation services in flood‐affected areas cause diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, which are potentially fatal, especially with children under the age offive."
"One system can provide up to 10,000 litres of clean drinking water per day, and operate for up to ten years. It can be erected and disassembled quickly so it can be moved to wherethere is the greatest need."
Disaster Aid Australia can have the water purification system on the ground in Pakistan in 10 days and is looking to supply 100units which will supply drinking water to more than 500,000 people.
That means jobs and 'money' will be earned when Westerners come out of the shopping malls and off the couch to work for a company that's heavily involved in development projects.
Developing desalination plants with nuclear power
Developing water levies to deal with flooding.
Developing irrigation systems to grow food in the Saharan Desert.
Whatever it takes, we make our money by developing third-world countries, no longer by Ben Bernanke 'printing money' so Wall Street/City of London can loot them by speculating on their food and raw material resources.
Thanks for bringing this issue to the Huffington Post.