How NOT to drown in a glass of water
Access to water is a privilege many across the globe don’t have
This is part two of a three-part series on Sustainable Development Goals. Read part one about Zero Hunger here.
Last week, I said the first problem I would fix would be world hunger. Today, I’m not so sure anymore.
Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is a human right. But, in reality, it’s a privilege many across the globe often don’t have. Just like food, there’s sufficient fresh water available on the planet. Yet more than half the world’s population experiences water scarcity at some point each month. Poor infrastructure, investment, and planning make access difficult and lead to over 1.5 million deaths per year die of diseases caused by inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.
The goal is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. What are people and communities doing to achieve that goal?
The Black Belt is Southern land that brought wealth to white Americans and
torment to Black slaves. Now, the government cannot even ensure the land’s
residents have proper sewage systems, with waste regularly bubbling up
through tubs or flooding backyards. But slowly, researchers and local governments are starting to take action and engineer a “rural” approach for when urban solutions are failing.
Peru’s wetlands are shrinking, threatening the livelihood of Andean communities. Instead of seeking modern solutions, villagers have decided to revitalize an old one to improve their access to water. And by old, I mean 1,200 years.
In Pakistan, women especially suffer under the lack of clean water and sanitation. But the country has seen vast improvements in recent years: More than 40 million people gained sources of water, making it the fifth-best improved in water access. How did it happen? A mix of practical tools handed out to communities and state-sanctioned improvements.
Lisa Urlbauer
Curator of The Response
“In the Black Belt, a template for fixing failing sewage infrastructure”
Alabama, United States
Melissa Brown
Southerly
[1,700 words]
After decades of insufficient wastewater management, local governments are finally starting to work on rural solutions.
“Climate Change Is Bad For Peru’s Pastures… But There’s A 1,200-Year-Old Fix”
Peru
Enlda Cantú
NPR
[1,200 words]
To avoid wetlands to shrink, Andean communities are turning toward responses that have been implemented over a century ago.
“In Pakistan, sanitation and water access improve quality of life”
Pakistan
Mahwish Qayyum
The Christian Science Monitor
[760 words]
A variety of responses has led to improved water access for 40 million Pakistani.
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