Water and sanitation

Every year, waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid claim the lives of millions of children in the developing world. Water and sanitation-related diseases are one of the major causes of underfive mortality in the world. Every day, nearly 4,800 children die from diarrhoea-related causes alone.

Diarrhoea spreads readily in environments where there is poor sanitation and where safe water is unavailable. Children already suffering from poor diets, the ravages of other diseases, and little or no access to clean water are the most vulnerable. Tragically, access to safe, clean water is a luxury for many communities and it is becoming scarcer by the day as climate change dries up the water tables and depletes rainfall, leaving communities to battle the devastating effects of drought.

Drought in southern Africa is closely related to the Indian Ocean warming due to climate change. The Indian Ocean has warmed more than 1°C since 1950. Rather than falling over the land, rain develops in the rising air above the warm ocean. Between 1950 and 1999, there was almost a 20 per cent decline in summer rainfall in southern Africa. Even a 10 per cent drop in rainfall can reduce river flows by 50 per cent or more.

Zambia, in common with other countries in southern Africa, is prone to droughts and has seen a worsening situation in recent years. Over the last 20 years, the worst affected areas have experienced a 25 per cent reduction in annual rainfall. Since 1992 the water tables have not recovered – they are low and dropping, meaning that an increasing number of water points dry up in the summer.

Rural areas, where streams and small rivers are the lifeblood of the community, can be devastated by the loss of water. Women, the water-carriers, are far more affected than men. If water is not nearby, they must travel, sometimes for days, to get it. This can be life shattering for girls, who spend most of their day collecting water, with little time left for education.

But there is hope. UNICEF is safeguarding clean and sustainable water supplies in Zambian schools with innovative schemes like roundabout play pumps, which are carbon free and pump water with the energy harnessed from children playing on them. This work is complemented by programmes to improve sanitation and basic hygiene practices.

Work is also being carried out in other countries, like Palve village located in the drought-prone district of Maharashtra, western India. This community of 2,200 households has been spared the everyday hardship of fetching water through water pumping initiatives that pump fresh, clean water right into their homes.

In southern Madhya Pradesh, India, tribal girls spent up to 3 hours a day collecting and arranging for water. The girls spent more time fetching water than learning and, as a result, they were lagging behind for their crucial exams in March and April. Now, water is readily available thanks to the “Wise-Water Management” programme implemented by UNICEF and its partners.

“Wise-Water Management” activities include the harvesting of rainwater, recycling of grey water, pumping of water using a roundabout play pump, and dilution of fluoride-contaminated water. This is all monitored by the Water Safety Club made up of tribal school girls, using a water safety plan taught by UNICEF.

UNICEF can play an important role in increasing sanitation standards and access to clean, safe water through education and water management programmes. Simple, sustainable techniques like carbon-free roundabout play pumps and rainwater harvesting can mean the difference between life and death for communities.