Let The Clean Waters Flow

Since January 20, the American people have been drinking from a fire hose. We are deluged with progress on issues that once seemed intractable - restarting the economy, safeguarding the environment, universalizing access to health care, and reasserting our good name abroad. As President Obama rounds the bend on his first 100 days, there feels like no limit tn the good that can be achieved.

In this vein, the Administration should start to blaze new trails on even the most difficult topics. The unique personal narrative of President Obama has earned the trust of billions of people around the world, particularly among the dispossessed and downtrodden in all parts of the world. He can honor this mandate by moving ahead to tackle an issue of universal concern - global water.

As we approach March 22, World Water Day , the Administration has an historic opportunity to break new ground on a longstanding humanitarian crisis. The worldwide scarcity of clean water and sanitation access is among the most pressing challenges of our time. Even in the US, we have some familiarity with decreasing water resources. But the pressure on communities in developing countries is far more brutal and deadly.

More than one billion people presently lack drinking water. Almost 2.5 billion suffer without access to sanitation services. According to the World Health Organization, a child dies every fourteen seconds from the ills that result from these conditions. Beyond the immediate death toll, individuals, families and communities are impacted through concentric circles of suffering. Imagine tens of billions of hours of squandered productivity, widening political and military conflicts over scarce resources and painful migration patterns that spread disease and poverty across continents.

There has been progress in recent years. The UN Millennium Development Goals raised the profile of this issue. More recently, media-centric initiatives such as Jay-Z's Water for Life film, Charity Water, and Blue Planet Run all have captured public attention. But perhaps only for the cliché 15 minutes. We now need a more sustained approach - and the White House should step forward to prioritize water among its short list of global development priorities.

In our recessionary environment, we need to seek approaches beyond simply more funding. Imagine a White House Conference on Global Water that promoted new models of innovation and policy with the potential to surface new ideas and showcase smart models to address the global calamity. The participation of congressional leaders, corporate executives and nonprofit activists would signal a welcome bi-partisan and cross-sector approach to policy.

Such an event could showcase numerous examples of water-related social entrepreneurship - such as the water-related micro-finance initiative pioneered by Water Partners, the micro-enterprise model of KickStart or thePlayPumps program generously supported by the Case Foundation. Any of these inventive programs would benefit enormously from the scale that a bit of government help, even non-financial aid, might enable. Our soft power would change rapidly if USAID supported these types of innovations or just followed the lead of actors like Acumen Fund or Ashoka to pursue socially-focused, market-driven models to address local water needs.

The Fortune 500 also has a role to play. Social entrepreneurs always could benefit from corporate partnerships that deliver distribution and marketing. Big business also proactively could address their commitment to the fast-growing concept of 'water neutrality' and share ideas on how they might conserve resources in the global communities where they operate. As part of such a discussion, imagine if the President were to ask such corporations to consider measuring their "water footprint" in their annual reports. Such a simple request could create a constructive buzz in corporate boardrooms across the US and around the world.

There would be widespread ripples if the Administration re-calibrated its development program based on the water-related needs of the Bottom Billion. The handful of congressmen, such as Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) , who have been committed to the issue might pick up the baton and propose new legislation to support an emerging international clean water agenda. Multilateral groups might be inspired to rethink their own plans and priorities. The knock-on efforts are almost limitless.

At a time when the world seeks US leadership, the bully pulpit provides a powerful platform - and small actions can yield large rewards. In his inaugural address, President Obama promised "the people of poor nations... that we would pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow." Now is the time to transform those words into deeds.

By starting with water, the President has an opportunity to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people - simply by turning the tap.

Comments

[NedBreslin]

FYI

The Financial Times (3/20, Harvey) reports, "Hundreds of millions of dollars on aid projects to provide water and sanitation in Africa have been wasted, as the projects have failed," a new report says. The problem, notes the article, "is that aid organisations and governments are keen to provide the initial infrastructure, such as boreholes, pumps, wells and sanitary facilities, but without money to maintain them these can quickly fall into disrepair, so that local people return to their prior, often unsafe, sources of drinking water." The report "estimates that somewhere between $215m and $360m has been wasted on water infrastructure," and "about 50,000 boreholes, wells and other water supply points have fallen into disrepair."

I think this is probably underestimated, but glad it is now getting coverage as we will only do better as a sector when we are held accountable. Liked the comments from Yasmina!

Ned

[Yzaidman]

Jonathan, thanks for writing a timely piece and for mentioning our work at Acumen Fund. It takes courage to address water issues given their complexity and the technical, political and social issues that make solving water problems so difficult. It is great to highlight what is working and offer practical things that people can do for those "who want to do more than read." But we can't afford to continue making the mistake of thinking that there are simple solutions out there - and the approach of donating another well, another pump, another toilet has not been able to scale as quickly as the problem itself is growing. 1 billion people gained access to safe water in the last decade, but the same number were born in places with endemic water and sanitation challenges. Kudos for continuing to raise these issues, and acknowledging the range of approaches out there. Rilke said "hold to what is difficult" and I truly hope that a growing number of people will hold to this issue, working to understand the complexities and commit themselves to long-term and nuanced solutions. It's a privilege to be in the fray with people like you, and many of the thoughtful folks who have commented here.

Yasmina Zaidman
Acumen Fund
http://www.acumenfund.org/investments/portfolios/water-portfolio.html

[NedBreslin]

Jonathan:

Nice piece but I fear it misses the point. What is most needed in the water sector is some transparency and accountability. Do we need a push from all the role players you mention - of course. But it would be most refreshing if such a push was done with a slight bit of humility and some honesty about programmatic impact.

I hear so many lament the tragedy of communities without water supplies or sanitation facilities but the sad truth is that many communities HAVE recieved improved supplies and toilets that have failed. Go to a school and look hard - you will likely find filled pit latrines or tapless handwashing facilities.

I look forward to the day when people ask agencies hard questions about impact, and move beyond the cute stories and photo opps that dominate the sector; when a poor woman from Mozambique does not have to repay a multilateral loan when the water supplies she was supposed to receive failed; when water sector agencies have on-going monitoring systems that tell us how effective their work has been over the last 10 years; and when the PR that dominates the sector is replaced by substance.

The sector needs honesty and accountability as part of a call to action, or we will continue to see people return to their unprotected sources as they do every day.

Ned
Water For People

[LisaMcCandless]

Jonathan,

Thank you for this insightful piece. I was delighted to see your bold call to action, and of course your mention of our work. The U.S. truly has an opportunity to take a global leadership position on this critical issue, and all eyes are on us.

We can each do our part. Please check out my guest post on the Case Foundation site: http://www.casefoundation.org/blog/what-will-you-do-for-world-water-day

Thank you for continuing to champion water issues. We are grateful to have your voice at the table.

Lisa
www.playpumps.org

[GaryWhiteWaterDotOrg]

Jonathan
Thanks for your well-written and engaging call to action for water. I am writing this while sitting in a session at the World Water Forum in Istanbul. Your efforts to mobilize the government, communities and individuals with concrete actions is a big (and welcome) contrast to what is a great deal of just thinking and talking about the issues that I see here. We need good strategies and policies but the real solutions will emerge from individuals taking actions...both those in need of safe water and those in a position to provide financial support.
Gary White
Water.org

[Oldfield]

Jonathan,

Thanks for a great, well-written post. It has been an eventful week in DC so far on global water and sanitation issues:

http://bloggingonwater.blogspot.com/2009/03/water-for-world-act-introduction-and.html

And the week is not yet over.

JO

[HamletsMilling]

The only statement the White House has made on water so far has been turning the water in the White House fountain green (and I assume non-potable). They would do well to heed some of the advice above...

[Jonathan Greenblatt - Huffpost Blogger]

As a post-script to my piece, I thought it might be useful to provide some suggestions for people who want to do more than read about the water crisis. Even at an individual level, there are actions that you can take to make a difference and change the world. Hope this might spur a bit of action and perhaps some additional ideas...

- Check out V2V, the online platform for volunteerism developed by Starbucks, to find local activities in your community to commemorate World Water Day www.v2v.net/actions/world-water-day-20099)

- Start your own local Meetup on water issues meetup.comm)

- Eat at a restaurant participating in the Tap Project tapproject.orgg)

- Sign an online petition at Change.org to motivate Congress to act on water issues change.org/wateraid_americaa)

- Donate to one of the great nonprofits working in the field, such as Water Partners water.orgg), the International Medical Corps imcworldwide.orgg) or CARE care.orgg)

- Invest in a grassroots water-related project via GlobalGiving globalgiving.comm)

- Support a micro-entrepreneur with a loan via Kiva kiva.orgg)

- Give the gift of Kickstart to a local entrepreneur via Changing the Present changingthepresent.org/gift/700/create_entrepreneurss)

- Explore the issues via the scholarship of the Pacific Institute pacinst.orgg) or the research of the The Global Water Challenge globalwaterchallenge.orgg)

- Finally, if you are in NYC, be sure to visit the Charity:Water gallery at Chelsea Market! charitywater.orgg)