Take a look at these recent headlines:
- "We are overwhelmed with victims and ...[the] lack of clean water, electricity and telecommunications…”
- "In another building, rescue workers passed a plastic bottle of water through an opening in the rubble to a person trapped underneath.”
- "The needs of thousands of children are vast and urgent. They must have access to clean water, shelter…”
The above quotes all refer to different natural or man-made catastrophes and what stands out is that one of the first cries is for…water. It is one of the necessities of life for everyone and everything, yet there are many worldwide problems caused by, and connected to, water. Most of these problems are not associated with a catastrophe at all, but are part of daily existence. Water problems affect half of humanity and 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies - approximately one in eight people! Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days. In terms of being essential for life - water is the top priority.
While there are many serious global problems in the world, water is related to all of them, but if water needs are not addressed first, it is hard to make positive changes in other areas. We would like to focus our efforts towards raising awareness of the water choices each of us make in our daily lives, and work towards solving one of the larger global water problems: Increasing the sustainable access to safe drinking water globally.
A requirement of issues for the Target Program is that they address a Millennium Development Goal (MDG). There are 8 MDGs and we believe that focusing on water would affect almost all of them!! We will list the MDGs below and give a brief statement indicating the positive effect water would have on that particular goal:
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Those affected most by the water crisis are the world’s poor and without an adequate water supply and better sanitation, their situation will not improve. In many cases, irrigated agriculture has been a major engine for economic growth and poverty eradication.
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education: Globally, women and girls spend an average of three hours each day collecting water. The creation of village wells would give women and girls the opportunity to devote more time to education. It is also important to realize that there are 443 million school days lost each year due to water-related illnesses!
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women: A study of women in four different countries found that when they have a well close to home, they have better self-esteem, are harassed less and their daughters attend school more regularly. (Choosing to work with an organization that makes it a priority to involve women and often girls in designing and implementing the work would further empower women.)
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality: According to the Global Health Council, more than 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die each year from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. The ‘familiar’ diseases/illnesses of diarrhea, pneumonia, measles, malaria and malnutrition account for 7 out of 10 childhood deaths in developing countries.
Goal 5: Improve maternal health: Women and girls face unique health risks related to water and sanitation. During pregnancy, consumption of unclean water can increase the risk of morbidity and mortality for mothers and their babies. Girls of menstruating age in poverty stricken areas often have no access to modern sanitary napkins. Washable rags are reused after washing in bad water, often causing vaginal and urinal infections. Keeping girls in school is also of vital importance since girls who attend school have an increased knowledge of nutrition and basic health care. As girls mature, this translates into better maternal care and a decrease in pregnancy-related trauma to their children. But when women and girls must spend hours each day collecting the water needed by their family, there is little time left for a “non-essential” such as school.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases: Since many infectious diseases are spread through unclean water and poor sanitation, improving household and community access to clean water would have a tremendous positive effect on improving the health of millions worldwide.
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability: Increasing the sustainable access to safe drinking water globally has the most direct connection to this MDG. One of the sub-targets of MDG #7 is to: “Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation” A more specific goal is to increase the, “Proportion of population using an improved drinking water source (and the) Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility.) It is clear that focusing on water would meet this MGD!!
Water and a sustainable source from which to get it…hopefully it is clear what a profound effect that would have on improving the lives of millions in the world! We hope you will look at the water information found on the Environment section of the FAWCO website, and support water as the Target issue!
Environment Team, Barcelona Women’s Network, AIWC Casablanca, AWC Hamburg and the AAWE Paris