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Mark Twain. Whiskey is for drinking water is for fighting over. 1cm. “Temperature, like money, exists in sufficient amounts but is not evenly distributed” Carl Hubbs. General water issue classes: - Too many people to little water: Saudi Arabia - Dirty / contaminated water
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Mark Twain Whiskey is for drinking water is for fighting over 1cm
“Temperature, like money, exists in sufficient amounts but is not evenly distributed” Carl Hubbs General water issue classes: - Too many people to little water: Saudi Arabia - Dirty / contaminated water - “Natural”: Bangladesh - Industrial: Navajo - Biological: Bangladesh - Barriers to water access - Economic: Card operated water spigot - Political: Colorado River - Cultural: ? Surely loads
Water factoids • 70% of water is locked in ice • The majority of remainder is in aquifers that we’re draining • 2/3 is used to grow food • American’s use 100 gallons at /day • World’s poorest use <5gal/day • Women walk an average of 3.7 miles to get water • 46% of population does not have piped water
The Burden of Thirst shamelessly stolen from National Geographic Ethiopia • Fetching water is strictly women's work • Takes up to 8 hours a day • Multiple trips with 50lb load • Burden prevents • Education • Economic development • Water scarcity leads to poor sanitation • Increasing illness which increases burden
Failures of international aid • Many projects fail soon after groups leave • Nine out of 35 projects function • Complex systems • Social failure • lack of trust for pooled resources • No oversight
Participation involves joint planning and self-analysis Men and women of all levels of wealth involved in decision making Water committees are formed to ensure that tariff rates, spare parts, and mechanical costs are kept at a suitable level Committee of seven, four must be women Train hygiene promoters Typical charge is around a penny per jerry can WaterAid http://www.wateraid.org
7th most populous country 9th in population denisity (2,917/mi2) (U.S. 83/mi2) Low elevation (predicted 50% land loss with 1m sea level rise) Subject to extreme droughts and flooding (1998 flood 2/3 of country under water) Bangladesh
Crisis leads to international response • Massive drought 1972 • Dirty surface water which was killing up to 250,000 children a year • International effort to install 10 million tube wells
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-the-west-poisoned-bangladesh-1924631.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-the-west-poisoned-bangladesh-1924631.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-the-west-poisoned-bangladesh-1924631.html • 20 million currently drink from arsenic wells • Up to 400 times safety limit • Increasing cancer rates • Inhibits intellectual development • Causes skin lesions • Alternatives • Rainwater collection • Filtration • Deeper wells
Navajo water use • 80% of Navajo families haul drinking water • 50% of water sources unregulated
Source of uranium • ¼ of nations U, easiest to extract, cheap labor • 4 million tons of U removed (mostly for weapons) • Complex patchwork of legislation but mostly boundary shifting • Mines closed with zero clean up • 1979 tailings dam failed releasing 1,100 tons of radioactive mill waste and 94 million gallons of acidic wastewater http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/us/27navajo.html and deLemos et al 2009
Uranium effects • Cancer • Lots of issues from surface U that I will not go into “downwinders” • Acts as estrogen mimic • Fertility problems • Reproductive cancers Raymond-Whish et al 2007
Resolution? • Banned U mining in the 2005 • However, a new mine might be forced in Churchrock • Hydro Resources owns 160 acres in Chruchrock • “ involves pumping a chemical solution through an underground ore deposit to leach out the uranium” • “tends to contaminate the groundwater.” • 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just gave the green light http://newmexicoindependent.com/49829/church-rock-uranium-mining-cant-start-just-yet http://sfreporter.com/stories/brave_nuke_world/5433/
Low tech water sanitation Simple, free, effective http://www.sodis.ch/index
Generally and specifically talk about solutions to the water issues: no water, bad water, and inaccessible water • Can we avoid ratchets? • How do we increase the longevity and success of water projects?