WATER RESOURCES & SANITATION
Our Water Resources & Sanitation Sector will focus primarily on providing communities with clean water. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that still “2.5 billion people – more than one third of the global population – live without basic sanitation facilities” while 750 million people still lack access to safe and clean drinking water. In developing countries, as much as 80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions, and nearly 1 out of every 5 deaths under the age of 5 worldwide is due to a water-related disease.
Eight out of ten people without access to safe drinking water live in rural areas and nearly half of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. The most deprived are still using untreated surface waters like lakes and rivers, the most unsafe water source.
In order to combat these realities we will use innovative solutions, such as solar power water pumps and rainwater harvesting.
Hygiene and Sanitation
Sanitation can be understood as interventions that reduce human exposure to diseases by providing a clean environment in which to live. It involves both behaviors and facilities, which work together to form a hygienic environment. Sanitation and hygiene promotion is an important line of defense for protecting drinking water from fecal contamination.
Regular hand washing after defecation and before handling water minimizes the risk that dirty hands contaminate water used in the home. Something as simple as handwashing can save lives. Washing hands with soap at critical times, like after going to the toilet or before eating, can have a significant impact on health. Good hygiene practices reduce the incidence of diseases such as pneumonia, trachoma, scabies, skin and eye infections and diarrhoea-related diseases like cholera and dysentery.
Research shows that regular handwashing with soap can reduce the number of incidents of diarrhea, a disease which can be deadly for children, by around 50 percent. Also well-constructed toilets help prevent the contamination of water supplies.
Climate Resilient Development
The effects of climate change are first felt through water: through droughts, floods and storms. These disasters can wash away water supplies, or leave them contaminated, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. Many of the regions most at risk of droughts and floods already have very low levels of access to water
Water Resources Goals include:
Eight out of ten people without access to safe drinking water live in rural areas and nearly half of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. The most deprived are still using untreated surface waters like lakes and rivers, the most unsafe water source.
In order to combat these realities we will use innovative solutions, such as solar power water pumps and rainwater harvesting.
Hygiene and Sanitation
Sanitation can be understood as interventions that reduce human exposure to diseases by providing a clean environment in which to live. It involves both behaviors and facilities, which work together to form a hygienic environment. Sanitation and hygiene promotion is an important line of defense for protecting drinking water from fecal contamination.
Regular hand washing after defecation and before handling water minimizes the risk that dirty hands contaminate water used in the home. Something as simple as handwashing can save lives. Washing hands with soap at critical times, like after going to the toilet or before eating, can have a significant impact on health. Good hygiene practices reduce the incidence of diseases such as pneumonia, trachoma, scabies, skin and eye infections and diarrhoea-related diseases like cholera and dysentery.
Research shows that regular handwashing with soap can reduce the number of incidents of diarrhea, a disease which can be deadly for children, by around 50 percent. Also well-constructed toilets help prevent the contamination of water supplies.
Climate Resilient Development
The effects of climate change are first felt through water: through droughts, floods and storms. These disasters can wash away water supplies, or leave them contaminated, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. Many of the regions most at risk of droughts and floods already have very low levels of access to water
Water Resources Goals include:
- Helping community members construct rainwater harvesting tanks
- Improving families’ access to safe, sustainable and affordable drinking water at reasonable distances from their home
- Improve sanitation practices by building latrines and toilets in communities, schools and clinics where there are none