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The Water Project - A Charity Providing Access to Clean Water in Africa

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The Water Project is a charity that provides access to clean, safe and reliable water and sanitation solutions across sub-Saharan Africa, one village at a time.

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Sahisna Suwal, Guest Writer

Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. As reported by the World Bank, Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world with an estimated GDP per capita of US$470. With a staggering 42 percent of the population living below the poverty line and only 27 percent with improved access to sanitation, there are quite a number of issues facing Nepal. Some of these significant challenges are related to water pollution and water scarcity.

Water is one of the basic human necessities but a large proportion of the Nepalese population is devoid of access to safe and adequate drinking water. According to the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage in Nepal, even though an estimated 80% of the total population has access to drinking water, it is not safe. Those belonging to poor and excluded groups in rural areas have limited to no access. Many in remote areas have to rely on small brooks running from the mountains and spend hours traveling to get water. Still the drinking water available is not always safe as supplied water is often polluted. One of the reasons for this is due to the fact that the surface and ground water in the Kathmandu Valley is deteriorating by natural and anthropogenic contaminations. The surface water is polluted by industry and domestic waste along with discharge of untreated sewage from tightly packed residential neighborhoods. It is without a doubt that the domestic sewage system is deemed one of the top sources of water pollution that seeps into rivers and lakes, which are the primary sources of drinking water. The capital city of Kathmandu is estimated to produce 150 tons of waste daily and almost half of this is dumped into rivers and 80 percent of the wastewater is generated by households. In addition, due to the increasing population and establishments, surface water sources alone has become inadequate to service everyone.

In some of the rural regions of Nepal communities still rely on getting their drinking water from tube wells. Recently, one of the major concerns in these regions, especially in the region of Terai, is groundwater contamination from arsenic. The Terai Region contains sedimentary layers of sand, gravel deposits interlocked with flood plains carried by rivers and is extremely vulnerable to arsenic contamination.

As only 27 percent of the population has access to basic sanitation, those without access rely on local surface water sources like rivers for bathing and washing clothes. At the same time, the establishments of water treatment facilities throughout the urban and rural regions are limited. As a result, Nepal faces a high number of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, gastroenteritis and cholera. Starting with the dry season in the month of March to the end of the rainy season in September, one is extremely vulnerable to waterborne illnesses. Coupled with the unhygienic environmental situation, the risk of food and water contamination is increased. Children under the age of five are the most affected with an estimated 44,000 children dying every year in Nepal from waterborne diseases.

The demand for water is increasing significantly in Nepal and access to safe and adequate drinking water is crucial. The public lacks awareness and education on proper sanitation issues and domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants need to be widespread. Nepal struggles to overcome this obstacle and needs solutions to eradicate this so that its citizens can live healthier lives.

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Learn about the water crisis facing Nepal.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Discover how WaterAid works to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene a normal part of life for everyone in Myanmar.

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Katherine Sentlinger, Guest Writer

As the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, Haiti has to deal with issues of poverty and water scarcity on a daily basis. According to a study conducted by The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, "only 55.2 percent of the population has access to an improved water source, while close to 70 percent does not have direct access to potable water. These figures, however, almost definitely overstate Haitians' access to improved water sources, since public systems are rarely available year round" (15, CHRGJ, et al).

Expenses also often create problems with water availability. The World Bank estimates that, "around 54 percent of the population lives on less than US$1 a day and 78 percent on less than US$2 (2001 data)" (The World Bank). The people of Haiti often resort to gathering water from 'garbage-filled' rivers to supply their households with water for their daily needs, including cooking and drinking when water becomes too expensive or there they do not have access to a clean water source (36, CHRGJ, et al).

Access to clean, fresh water is a main concern in Haiti, where waterborne illnesses, such as typhoid, cholera, and chronic diarrhea, are the cause of more than half of the deaths in the country every year. Contaminated water is also one of the leading causes of childhood illness and the very high infant death rate in Haiti (57 for every 1000 births) .

Now, in the months after the massive 7.0 earthquake in early 2010, the problems of water scarcity have increased greatly. The earthquake had a devastating effect on the entire country, including the already inadequate clean water supply. Earthquakes often cause damage to wells and water systems, which are a major source of fresh water for the people of Haiti. The Water Project has been supporting Living Water International financially in their efforts to repair damaged wells in Haiti. Through the repairing of these wells, The Water Project and Living Water International have provided thousands of people access to reliable, clean water.

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Learn about the water crisis facing Haiti. Read about some of the causes of water scarcity in the region.

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It is a half-hearted attempt to make light of a water crisis that is impacting millions in Damascus, a city that has been relatively sheltered from the violence raging elsewhere in the country.

Nour said that her family just got water on Tuesday morning, after four days without access. Her family quickly lined up to use the shower and she switched on the washing machine. Now, when she hears the sound of the water motor running, she says it is "like a wedding."

"When the water comes, it's the same joy as a mom having a boy after 10 daughters," Nour said. She did not feel comfortable sharing her last name with CNN.

Some four million people in Damascus have suffered from acute water shortages for more than a week after springs outside the Syrian capital were targeted, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on December 29.

Water from the Wadi Barada and Ain al-Fija springs, which serve 70 percent of the population in and around Damascus, was cut after infrastructure was damaged in fierce clashes. OCHA described the damages as "deliberate," without saying who was responsible.

Syrian government and opposition trade blame

The Syrian government and rebel forces are trading blame for the water shortages.

Rebels claim the government destroyed the water pumping station in the Wadi Barada valley, one of the last remaining rebel-held pockets of Damascus.

The Syrian army and its allies are pushing to recapture Wadi Barada in spite of a nationwide ceasefire. The regime claims it is going after rebel groups who were excluded from the truce, like former al Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham, which it says is operating in the area (although local groups deny this).

The Syrian regime has accused rebels of contaminating the springs with diesel, forcing the Damascus water authority to cut the supplies.

CNN could not independently verify these claims.

A group of pro-opposition groups and civil society organizations in Wadi Barada, including the Local Council and the Syrian Civil Defense, released a statement on Monday calling for the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations to assess damages at the Ain al-Fija spring, situated northwest of the capital in a mountainous area near the border with Lebanon.

"(We express) our willingness and readiness to accompany and assist teams heading to al-Fija spring to accelerate resupplying fresh water to our people in Damascus city," the statement read. "This facilitation needs to be accompanied with activating the ceasefire in Wadi Barada region and halting the aggression conducted by the Syrian government forces backed by Hezbollah militias."

The Syrian government denies any involvement in the destruction of the springs. State-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on December 27 that the springs in Wadi Barada "came out of service as a result of terrorist acts."

Fears over water contamination

In recent days, the Syrian government initiated a program of rationing and distribution to address the scarcity of water, as seen in footage released by SANA on December 30. But OCHA says the efforts aren't enough to meet the massive need.

"[People] are having to purchase water from private vendors, where prices and water quality are unregulated," OCHA said in a statement. "The UN is concerned about the lack of water which could lead to waterborne diseases, particularly among children, as well as the financial strain this is having on families."

Ghassan, a medic in Damascus city center who did not feel comfortable sharing his last name with CNN, said many people are worried that the drinking water being distributed might be contaminated. He added that residents are more concerned with finding potable water than going to the doctor.

Thomas Webber, an American resident of Damascus, told CNN that he has not had fresh water since December 28. Webber, who lives in the Al Rhoumani district, said that his two full tanks ran dry after just two days. Since then, he and his wife have been relying on a stock of bottled water for cooking and drinking. Water they fill up at a government-installed pipe near their home is used for washing and flushing the toilet.

Webber's district and the neighboring Malki district have not yet been slated to receive any deliveries, according to a government website announcing scheduled water truck stops.

"Two days ago they [the government] shared online which districts would get water, but people in districts on the list say there was no water deliveries," Webber told CNN in a phone interview.

TV advertisements are also being used to notify residents of scheduled deliveries. Webber's mother-in-law, who lives in a district near Shalan, was one of the lucky ones. She recently received a delivery from a government water truck, which filled up tanks in her home.

As water runs low, locals get creative

Webber said nearby shops are running out of bottled water and that some locals are getting water from a government-installed plastic pipe in Jawez park.

"For some reason parks are still getting water. On the 29th I found hoses going from fountains, draining fountains in the parks," Webber said. He believes that the parks are getting water from artesian wells.

He has concerns about the quality of water coming from the Jawez pipe. Ever since his wife fell ill, they have only been using it for sanitation purposes.

Webber says people are getting creative in the crisis. His local car-washer has now become the neighborhood's go-to person for water delivery.

''He started out carrying 20 liter jerry cans to and from the pipe for us and other people. Then I saw he got a pushcart. Now he has borrowed a small 4x4 jeep from a friend and he's using that. He's making more money delivering water than he ever was washing cars.''

Webber says he's trying to stay optimistic, despite the ongoing water crisis: ''The glass is still half-full, but it's emptying fast.''

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water is the latest battleground in syria - cnn

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Water is the latest battleground in Syria

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It is a half-hearted attempt to make light of a water crisis that is impacting millions in Damascus, a city that has been relatively sheltered from the violence raging elsewhere in the country. Nour said that her family just got water on Tuesday morning, after four days without access.

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Lifewater walks with families, leaders, and churches in overcoming all forms of water poverty by living in a healthy relationship with God and the environment.

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UNICEF's work

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. And we never give up.

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UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents - and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere.

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That's where Water.org comes in. Water.org offers smart solutions that break down the financial barriers between people living in poverty and access to safe water and sanitation.

Our solutions are working! Today more than 60 million people around the world can turn on a tap or safely use a toilet because small, affordable loans empowered them to get access to safe water and sanitation at home.

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Water.org: A Global Charity for Water & Sanitation

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Water.org, founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, provides access to safe water and sanitation solutions. Support us by donating, fundraising, and exploring our initiatives.