Partly to keep the readers of the Hope Spring Water blog informed, partly to keep up to date with what is happening in the world of WaSH, our versatile volunteer Evgeniy Gakaviy has just started a monthly blog post series called the “Water and Sanitation roundup”. In these posts, he shares excerpts from some of the leading WaSH news posts and articles he comes across in a given month.
Here is Evgeniy’s WaSH roundup, we hope you find it informative and/or useful. If you have WaSH-related articles, newsor information you would like him to include in a future WaSH roundup, please use our contact page to get in touch with Evgeniy.
“Clean water key to taming communicable diseases” by Gardy Chacha on standardmedia.
Residents fetching dirty water from Nagwenyi borehole in Mosiro in Narok East sub-county. Pastoralists in the area have been asked to sell their stock to avert losses occasioned by drought-related deaths. PHOTO: ROBERT KIPLAGAT
The drought in Kenya has showed the difficulties of life without water. Cholera, typhoid, dysentery and bilharzia are killing people in local communities. Their main sources of water are two rivers. The water is very bad there but people do not have other options.
“Water, sanitation innovations to transform urban slums” by Neena Bhandari on eco-business. The new project aims to redevelop urban slums in Fiji and Indonesia for the next five years and improve the access to clean water.
You can see how the system will work below:
“Government of Tanzania launches a nationwide scheme to improve access to water” on satprnews. UK AID and the Government of Tanzania have launched a performance-based financing scheme to improve access to clean water worth £78 million.
It was launched on January 30, 2017. It will help with additional funding for improvements of water infrastructure.
“This scheme is one of the very few innovative programmes and complements government’s aim to provide 85% rural population with sustainable access to clean and safe water by 2020”.
“Africa Goes Online With Water Sector and Sanitation Reporting” on waterjournalistsafrica. The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) has activated online portal of the water section and sanitation reporting system.
This portal will show the progress on the implementation of water and sanitation in the region. And everyone can review it. It was one of the main mistakes in Africa region that WaSH progress was not tracked properly.
Everyone can access the portal by clicking this link: http://www.africawat-sanreports.org/
“This Pune Family Shows the World How to Exercise and Save Water at the Same Time!” by Tanaya Singh on The Better India. Sanjay Athavale has designed a special solution which can help to get safe water. Every minute of cycling provides 30-40 litres of water to his family.
“When we pedal, the water is supplied to my garden through a drip irrigation system. One minute of cycling can supply 18 litres of water and a ten-minute work-out by each family member is enough for the 50 trees in my garden. The left-over water is stored and the excess goes in the drain. During monsoon we don’t have to cycle but each of us store about 600 litres in the tank with our usage every day.”
“Uganda Sanitation Fund expands to Napak District” by Jane Nabunnya Mulumba on ircwash. Napak is one of Uganda districts, which was selected by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council. This program will increase sanitation level and reduce morbidity and mortality rates due to sanitation related diseases among the people in the programme area.
In Napak district they have a goal to achieve 100% in adequate sanitation, when now it is only 22%.
“Solar borehole protects Kenyan herders’ children as drought deepens“ by Isaiah Esipisu on trust.org. The borehole originally was built to help 12 herders and their families access clean water. The upgraded well now can serve water for thousands of people.
By April 2017, the number of people without enough to eat will double from 1.3 million to about 2.4 million.
“Water You Doing For Water Action Month – WAM 2017” on Hope Spring. Hope Spring Water charity is preparing for World Water Day on 22nd of March and has already scheduled many events in United Kingdom and Nigeria to mark the water action month (WAM).
Our main events will be in Nigeria because of the low level of awareness and access of water and sanitation in the country. Hope Spring Water will be organizing awareness campaigns in different schools to raise a young generation of WaSH champions.
“Six ways not having safe toilets affects people’s life” on WaterAid.
- It makes you and your children ill.
- It puts women and girls at risk.
- It’s hard to manage periods.
- It makes it hard to deliver good healthcare.
- It keeps people in poverty.
- It’s bad for the economy.
“The cost of sustaining sanitation services for 20 years can be 5-20 times the cost of building a latrine” on ircwash. For a family of seven people, the cost of constructing a basic pit latrine that delivers a basic level service rangers from $1-$4 per person.
The benchmark per person cost of building a VIP latrine ranges from $5 – $51 per person.
The benchmark per person cost of building a pour flush or septic-latrine ranges from $13 – $51 per person.
But the cost of sustaining sanitation services for 20 years can be 5-20 times the cost per person of building a new latrine.
“Review of clean water rule by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” on NPR
The clean water rule is a regulation implemented in 2015 that clarifies which bodies of water fall under federal protection. The US president has signed orders for the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review – and potentially repeal – the rule, on the basis that it is unfavourable to small farmers and small businesses. The rule was also fiercely opposed by agriculture and industry groups.
“Water Crisis: curfew imposed in Kaduna State, Nigeria” on Reuters
Kaduna state government imposed a 24-hour curfew after conflicts over grazing land and water left about 14 people killed. The clash was between the herdsmen (predominantly Fulani) and farmers in the north-central state.