As we drink water straight from the faucet, it's hard to believe that one in six people around the world lack clean drinking water, and every 15 seconds another child dies because of it.
Today, Tuesday, March 23rd, I'm in D.C. representing the global health organization PSI for a series of activities in observance of World Water Day. I am briefing members of Congress on my experience in Southern Sudan, joining what will hopefully be the world's longest toilet queue to bring awareness to the need for improved hygiene and sanitation in developing countries around the world, and I will pass out copies of National Geographic magazine's April issue, which is dedicated entirely to water, to lawmakers in hopes of educating them on these critical but solvable issues.
To be in D.C. on such an important day is both exciting and humbling -- the U.S. government provides generous levels of funding for water, sanitation and hygiene efforts in some of the world's most vulnerable communities -- the latest numbers hover around $315 million for 2010. As I write, U.S. Senators are discussing the Paul Simon Water for the World Act, which is a bill that would place water at the top of the U.S. government's priority list and would help provide access to clean, safe drinking water for 100 million people. I feel grateful for the generosity of the American government and for taxpayers like you and me who make this work happen.
In the past I have posted details of my trip to Southern Sudan -- I wrote about the people I met and the programs I saw. I remember wondering what my value on that trip would be and how I would use it when I came back to the U.S. Watching women in the village show their neighbors how simple it is to purify their water and listening to school children sing songs about the importance of hand washing and water purification inspired me to join them as peer educators -- to help spread the word. So that's what I'm doing today for World Water Day -- I'm hoping to educate others on this important issue and I am urging for continued policymaker support for these life-saving interventions.
The global water crisis creates consequences that go far beyond mere physical illness. It has an effect on education, empowerment and economic growth. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to its ill effects. While I was in Sudan, I joined Antoinette and her son Jido on their walk to collect drinking water from the Nile -- the sun was intense, beating down on us for hours as we walked miles to her filthy water source. Far from the security and comfort of my daily life, I realized just how vulnerable our small group was -- how anything could have happened on that walk. And, unfortunately, it does. Women are too often the victims of sexual violence while fetching water. For women like Antoinette the burden of thirst is clear -- unable to attend school, little time to devote to education, not a shot at developing economic ventures, and living in constant risk of rape and abduction. Tina Rosenberg has written a powerful piece on "water slaves" which documents this injustice in the National Geographic Magazine's April issue that I will be passing out.
For those who may ponder the value of "days" like this -- they allow us to rally around the progress we've made and remind us that the job is far from complete.
We have cost-effective tools to provide clean, safe drinking water to everyone in need -- I drank clean water that was purified with one such product while in Southern Sudan. But without cooperation from all sectors -- public, private and civil -- Antoinette and her friends will continue to carry their heavy jerry cans alone.
Please join me this World Water Day and lend your voice to those in need. Visit www.waterday.org to learn more about the issues.
I wanted to share this again, it really woke me up to this imminent water crisis:
This one's OK, very good for explaining it to kids:
the story of bottled water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0&feature=player_embedded
& THIS IS THE WORST ONE!! VERY ALARMING!
Water privatization:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4124375589330103131#
OIh no we don't. Not here in San Diego.
WW3. The war on want.
The common campaign humanity should have declared and waged, an age ago.
“help spread the wordâ€
I’ll drink to that. Water, of course.
Thank you for bringing attention to this sad problem, there are enough resources but not enough will. If we all pitch in, we can solve these issues with some nifty technological solutions. We are now working to provide cheap Lighting in Africa and Mexico where a lot of people use Kerosene. Just a small step, but a world to those affected!
Switching to rooftop solar, wind and waste bio fuels could eliminate nearly all of the water use.
see my profile for details.
Have you looked into the two new super efficient water distillers?
In fact, water usage for thermoelectric-power generation and irrigation, the two largest uses, have stabilized or decreased since 1980. However, public-supply and domestic uses have increased steadily since estimates began (USGS website, stats. as of 2005).
The second biggest use for fresh water is irrigation, mostly in the western states. Again, not a bad thing, unless you don't eat. Moreover, what isn’t absorbed by crops is filtered into ground supplies or runs off back into surface sources.
According to the USGS, nearly all the water used by power plants is surface water - water that would otherwise drain into the oceans. Instead, power companies divert the water flow for cooling and put it back into the surface flow. Should the Niagara Falls power plants be mothballed? There would be no electricity to power most of the northeastern U.S. and, no more water to drink.
Mandy's article has less to do with America’s water utilization than with corrupt governments in other countries (not ours), that put profiteering above the welfare of their people, but its always fun to bash America whenever we have the chance, right?
There is a clean water shortage but no shortage of water. Filtration and desalinization technologies will advance to solve the problem.
Perhaps clean water shortages exist because governments monopolize water distribution. Now that’s worth researching.
yes, it a bad thing. potable fresh Water is a precious resource, becoming more valuable every minute. Solar wind and bio char use no water.
Using water to electrical generation when you don;t need to is a huge environmentally damaging Waste.
"According to the USGS, nearly all the water used by power plants is surface water - water that would otherwise drain into the oceans. Instead, power companies divert the water flow for cooling and put it back into the surface flow. Should the Niagara Falls power plants be mothballed? There would be no electricity to power most of the northeastern U.S. and, no more water to drink."
hydro does not "damage" the water, thermoelectric cooling warms the water, killing 100's of millions of fish per plant per year in the process.
"Mandy's article has less to do with America’s water utilization than with corrupt governments in other countries (not ours), that put profiteering above the welfare of their people, but its always fun to bash America whenever we have the chance, right?"
the USA puts profiteering ahead of the welfare, where have you been? The USA is a plutocracy for sale to highest bidder: the very definition of corruption. why miss a chance to yell USA #1, right?
The Colorado river doesn't reach the ocean anymore, And purification is expensive, and short of distillation, does not remove all the harmful compounds, hormones for instance. And it use more energy.
I love you.
-guy from internet
We go further by polluting even the clouds to the point where monuments are eroded by acid rains, but here's the clincher...WE then ride to our rescue by providing services to "cleanse" the water, ofcourse, at a price.
drink the water from a tap.This so-called drinking water is good only for
watering the lawn!
They pollute the fresh water, then sell you a filter!