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July 8, 2011
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Water news: droughts, justice and books.

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Once in awhile, we recap the latest news relative to the water sector and the areas we work. Have news to add? Leave us a comment, let us know.

Severe drought starving the Horn of Africa.

drought

Our partner Concern Worldwide reports that more than 10 million people have been affected by drought in the Horn of Africa; specifically, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Officials are calling it the “worst drought in 60 years.” The Guardian has been covering the drought pretty extensively. See the devastation in photos, video and with an interactive map >

The UN predicts that the drought and resulting food shortages will continue into 2012.

Here’s how several of our partner organizations on the ground are helping:
Concern Worldwide >
Action Against Hunger >
The International Rescue Committee (the IRC) >

DRCmap

Seeking justice for mass raping in the D.R.C.

Last year, it was labeled “the rape capital of the world.” But now, the international community may have the evidence to convict a large group in the Democratic Republic of Congo for using rape as a weapon of war. This week, a general and his envoy of 150 men surrendered to the UN’s accusations of raping and looting in the South Kivu province. The UN says that acts committed by Colonel “Kifaru” Kulimushi and his troops are horrific enough to be considered crimes against humanity. Investigations are still underway and have a good chance of proceeding; earlier this year, nine of Kifaru’s men were found guilty of raping at least 50 women on New Year’s Day.

Learn more about the current situation from the BBC here >

Three water books… any worth reading?

This week, the Washington Post highlighted three new books about the world’s water supply:

waterbook

– The Ripple Effect by Alex Prud’homme
- The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman
- Elixir by Brian Fagan.

We’re encouraged by the surge in coverage (all three came out this year). We’d also like to see who’s interested in them. Have you read any of these? If so, what did you learn? If not… do you know of any other books that shed light on the water crisis in a compelling way?

Leave us a comment and let us know >

Local Heroes.

We try to keep up with our mycharity: water fundraisers, who constantly make the local press for their inspiring or unique campaign ideas. Here are a few recent stars…

robyn

From Memphis, Tenn.: Fifteen long-time friends celebrate their 30th birthdays together by fundraising for water projects.

From Omaha, Neb.: Blogger and ‘minimalist knitter’ Robyn is giving out free patterns to anyone who donates to her campaign.

From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Anaheim, California: Whitney, 24, takes on 3,000 miles of running — yes, across the country — to fundraise for water projects.

From New York’s tri-state area: Jessie, a food blogger on Savory Bites, starts a campaign whilst blogging about delicious eats in NYC.

From the charity: water office in NYC: Our very own Development Intern Nazia Salam gave up her birthday to ask for donations instead. Check out her campaign!

 

Thanks for catching up with us. Did we miss anything? Just leave us a comment to let us know.

 

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May 6, 2011
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Meet the staff: Nat Paynter, Director of Water Programs

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Meet Nat!

Nat spent nine years at the World Bank, with three years of field experience in Tanzania. There, he oversaw a water, sanitation and hygiene program. He’s brand new to the charity: water team as of last week. We pulled him out of his consecutive meetings and phone calls (this guy jumps right in!) to pick his brain about two areas of his expertise in the water sector: money and sanitation.

Nat on economics:

People in developing countries around the world can spend hours each day collecting drinking water (often from sources that can make them sick). In Africa alone, this adds up to about 40 billion hours per year. We asked Nat to break this down into a sort of Water Crisis Economics 101:

“So — time is money. If you’re saving time, you’re saving money. Water is just core to every activity in a community. The importance of bringing water supply there is to save time, typically for women and children. Then you can save four to six hours a day — when you think about it, that’s a 50% raise or even a 100% raise, if they use that time to earn income.”

nat

In Central Tanzania, Nat worked in a Masai community called Twatwatwa (isn’t that the best name for a town?). When he got there, the village was walking eight miles away to collect water from a crocodile-infested river.

“So the World Bank put in a water system there… and you could just see the community growing as a result. You’d see where the initial settlement was; then there was a school and a clinic built. And then shops were just sprouting up. You could see this economy growing, translating the time saved into economic activity. It was very heartening.”

Quick facts:

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The overall economic loss in Africa alone due to lack of access to safe water and basic sanitation is estimated at $28.4 billion a year, or around 5% of GDP. (UN World Water Assessment Programme)

money

Every $1 invested in improved water access and sanitation yields an average of $12 in economic returns, depending on the project. (WHO)

money

Almost 2/3 of people lacking access to safe drinking water are living on less than $2 a day. One in three lives on less than $1 a day. (UN World Water Assessment Programme)

Nat on sanitation:

charity: water has invested in sanitation (toilets) across most of the countries we work. The water crisis is our main focus — to most people, that means just providing clean drinking water projects. But when water, sanitation and hygiene practices are all used together, we can drastically reduce deadly diseases.

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nat

Nat spent three years leading a handwashing and sanitation campaign in Tanzania to prevent and reduce water-related deaths. While charity: water has already been funding sanitation and hygiene programs, Nat’s excited to invest even more in the innovative sanitation solutions and help us tell the sanitation story along with the water story.

It turns out, toilets don’t have to be awkward or boring to talk about. We’ve had our eyes on some new sanitation solutions and they’re actually pretty exciting stuff. Especially the ones that involve an economic benefit.

“The way the sanitation sector is moving is in behavior change, public-private partnerships and developing markets for sanitation and hygiene,” says Nat. In other words, making sanitation a local business or incentive-driven practice.

For example, our partners Water For People are using “sanitation as a business.” Read more about that here > We’ll see what else this year brings in sanitation solutions and keep you updated on new programs here on the blog.

Welcome, Nat. We’re excited to have you on board. Now, if we can just get you on Twitter…

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April 7, 2011
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water news roundup: Rwanda memorial, Ivory Coast update + superbugs.

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Once in awhile, we recap the latest news relative to the water sector and the areas we work.
Have news to add? Leave us a comment, let us know.

Remembering the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

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This week, the world has looked back on the horrific 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Through memorial services and vigils, reflections in photos and historical accounts, we take a moment to remember the more than 800,000 people killed and many more displaced, orphaned or scarred by the violence.

Some use this week to recognize where oppression persists. The Mark examines where Rwanda’s citizens stand 17 years on. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon calls on the International Criminal Court to prevent further human rights violations, while violence continues to surface in Cote d’Ivoire, Bahrain, Libya and elsewhere.

But stories of hope and resilience in Rwanda emerge this week, too.

The BBC recounts the tale of Gisimba Orphanage, which sheltered (and saved) about 600 people, both Hutu and Tutsi, in the thick of violence in Kigali. Read the story here >

People of the Second Chance, a group that challenges common conceptions of failure and mistakes, shows the story of Emmanual, a man who contributed to the widespread ethnic cleansing in Rwanda.

< Watch his story.

And we haven’t seen this it yet, but our eyes are on the winner of this year’s Sundance World Cinema Audience Award for Dramatic Film — Kinyarwanda.

The film tells the story of Rwandans using mosques as hideouts during the genocide. Take a look at the trailer >

Did we miss some powerful stories about Rwanda? Hear anything this week that stood out to you? Comment with a story or link to a story here >

A standoff in Cote d’Ivoire: conflict coming to a close?

It’s been more than four months since incumbent Laurent Gbagbo lost the country’s presidential elections, but he still refuses to step down. This week, the opposition, backed by French UN troops, has laid the pressure on thick, taking over the country’s capital and evidently cornering Gbagbo in his compound’s basement.

Learn more about the current situation from the Economist here >.

And get a personal perspective from someone who worked to get Gbagbo in office in the first place here >

cote refugees

Although Gbagbo is expected to flee the country or surrender any moment now, restoring peace and safety after he’s gone won’t be easy. The last four months of violence and tension has uprooted at least 400,000 people across the country. In January, we reported our partners in Liberia were adjusting to an influx of 20,000 Ivorian refugees fleeing into Nimba County. Now, the UN estimates the total coming across the border has hit 94,000.

We work with the International Rescue Committee to build water and sanitation projects in Cote d’Ivoire. We recommend you follow them on Twitter (@theIRC) and keep up with their blog for further updates on the Ivory Coast.

Superbug found in Delhi water.

Stomach bugs are nothing new to India, but researchers recently found a new kind of “superbug” — it’s actually a genetic mutation — in Delhi’s water, one that strengthens the germs that acquire it. Basically, the NDM-1 bug makes the bacteria that cause cholera, E. coli, dysentery and other diseases resistant to antibiotic treatment.

ecoli

“While the bacteria that cause cholera (Vibrio cholerae), dysentery and diarrhea (Shigella) and other diseases may be commonly found in water samples in New Delhi, the researchers were dismayed to discover bacteria with the NDM-1 gene mutation — which means that these infections may potentially be untreatable with drugs,” reports TIME.

NDM-1 circulated in the U.S., the U.K., Japan and other countries in 2008; doctors think that it wasn’t treated properly in India, so it stuck around in municipal water sources. They also say it could spread again across the globe since millions pour in and out of the India on business and vacation each year. It doesn’t help that most of Delhi lacks proper sanitation and the heavy crowds and high temperatures can quickly spread disease.

ella

Local Heros.

From Ludlow, Ohio:
Jonathan was inspired by Kristen Bell’s birthday campaign last year that raised more than $100,000. Now, he’s following suit by giving up his 26th birthday to raise money for water.

From Pearl River, NY:
Patrick is a volunteer junky: he helped out in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, then he gave up his birthday to fund an entire water project. His local media interviewed him about his passion to help.

From Fairless Hills, Penn:
Next week, this high school is hosting “Yard Shops for Water Drops,” a yard sale to raise money for water projects.

From Austin, Texas:
Eight-year-old Ella reached her $5,000 goal with the help of family, friends and… Groupon! “It bothers me that kids my age get really sick and can die from drinking dirty water,” she says. See her campaign here >

Thanks for catching up with us. Did we miss anything? Just leave us a comment to let us know.

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March 22, 2011
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WWD 2011: a roundup.

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It’s World Water Day! For us, today has been all about spreading the word that a billion people live without clean and safe drinking water. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite WWD initiatives this year >

UN Talk on Water for Cities, NYC

While the big United Nations consortium got underway in Cape Town, South Africa, a few charity: water staff ventured uptown for the UN’s panel here in NYC. The topic: water for the world’s cities. Researchers and specialists shared their studies on water systems from the crowded streets of Kampala to the slums of Dar es Salaam.

UN HQ

Studies couldn’t be more timely; why is there need to focus on urban challenge? …because water access in cities has deteriorated.

– Andrew Hudson
UNDP Water Gov Programme Cluster Leader

Most of our projects are in rural areas, where women and kids walk hours to collect their water. Overall progress in world water coverage for these regions is on target to meet the Millennium Development Goal by 2015. But the story isn’t the same for people living in cities. “We’re witnessing a radical demographic shift,” UNDP Water Governance Programme Cluster Leader Andrew Hudson told the panel this morning. “By 2030, all developing regions will have more people living in cities than in rural areas. And access to clean water in cities has failed to keep pace with this population growth.”

The number of people living without clean drinking water in urban areas has increased by 20% in the past decade. There are solutions for these areas; but as the UN panel pointed out, city settings can magnify obstacles. Urban areas couple the densest population with the highest poverty rates. Poor sanitation in cramped areas with bad drainage systems increase the risk of contamination.

The panel’s researchers, who have been working in Sub-Saharan cities, highlighted the challenges but also offered hope for new private and public water solutions. We’re excited to see how the sector can use this info to create new models for inner-city coverage this year.

PBS: Water Woes.

Another spotlight on water in cities — today, PBS focused on areas that are struggling the most right now for clean water access.

In Japan, 1.8 million people are cut off from water sources from the quake. Haiti continues to fight cholera. Slums in Kenya grapple with water shortages while population surges in New Delhi tighten reserves.

Catch the collection of stories here >

one week for water logo

One Week for Water.

Water orgs from around the world have teamed up to support One Week for Water. They’re asking anyone to donate their voice — meaning their Facebook or Twitter status — to spread the word that one in eight people lives without clean water. Learn more about One Week for Water here >

Vlogging about water in Haiti.

“I do a lot of weird things that I think make the world and my life better,” writes Vlog Brother Hank Green. “And so last week I went to Haiti with Water.org.” Hank was one of three bloggers chosen by Water.org to visit communities in need of clean water in Haiti. He spent a few days in a rural village called Savann Tabak where he picked up on the inner-workings of a local water committee. He looks like he’d be pretty fun to travel with… watch Hank’s vlog from Haiti >

UN logo

WWD events around the globe.

Ok, sick of just reading or watching things online about World Water Day? Want to attend an actual event? The UN has collected WWD events from around the world on one map. Maybe there’s one near you — check it out here >

From us: spread the simple message that water changes everything.

pack

You probably got our email update (no? sign up here!), or our Tweets and Facebook posts… this World Water Day, we created simple messages for you to share with everyone you know, to teach them quickly and simply about the water crisis.

WWD is obviously about water. But water affects just about everything else in life. Safe water solutions can change much more than what someone drinks every day. Water changes everything. Learn more at charitywater.org/everything. Pass the link around. And feel free to use our simple ads to spread the word, too >

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March 22, 2011
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It’s World Water Day.

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wce

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