Water use this Christmas: at home and in Africa

As I loaded the dishwasher this morning for almost the 20th time this week following a lengthy power-shower this morning, it dawned on me quite how much water we’d used this Christmas period. Christmas is well known for being a time of excess but in no area, bar perhaps eating enormous amounts of cheese, is this more apparent than water usage. Large volumes are used for heating, personal hygiene, toilet flushing, laundry and most of all cooking vast quantities of food. 

Waterwise state that the average UK citizen uses 150 litres a day, but when you take into account the embedded water used to grow and produce the food and drink we consume, this is closer to 3400 litres per day (2014). According to the UN a human being needs 50 litres a day to maintain good health, so on average the UK uses triple what we need. The pie chart below shows how the UK uses water within their homes (Waterwise).  

In Africa the average water use is 20 litres a day per person for domestic consumption (Water for Africa Institute). That is a 1.5 minute shower for most of the UK population. As well as being a considerably lower volume of water per person than the UK, Africans also have limited access to clean water. Waterborne diseases are a constant threat. 

As Africa’s population rapidly increases and climate change makes water more scarce, the volume of water available per person is decreasing even further below the level recommended by the UN. Whilst we in the UK need to become more water efficient and use less, there is an urgent need in Africa to improve access to larger volumes of clean and safe water. This blog has looked at some strategies already in place, and will continue to research into more. 

Perhaps in the Christmas spirit of caring for others and giving you could have a think about what you can do to improve water access in Africa! Merry Christmas and a happy new year! 

Are WASH charities actually effective?

In recent years there has been a huge increase in the number and scope of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) focussing on water projects. NGOs are highly-regarded for their flexibility to adapt to local situations and needs by using innovative approaches. They can identify with people, tailor their assistance and can recruit both experts and motivated staff to communicate at all levels, from neighbourhood to government. But while many of these charities may build pumps, toilets and other infrastructure, the actual success of projects may be limited. The altruistic motives behind these charities are often based on the fact that one feels they should donate rather than actually assisting with development. 

There is very little data on NGOs’ results or performance. Whilst researching for this post I found it difficult to find details on the current state of WASH infrastructure in African countries. NGO data is often written by the people involved in the organisations themselves so can be biased and obscure the truth (Lewis). An example of this is charity:water, an NGO based upon transparency with 100% of their donations going straight into WASH projects. However when examining this charity it is unclear how many people have access to clean water as a result of their work. When Anne Moore was researching the charity for her blog she was told ‘Since 2006, we’ve funded 6,994 water projects in 20 countries. What we don’t know and are currently investing in, is technology to tell us in realtime when the pumps are broken or need maintenance’. In my opinion this is surely the most important part of any project: ensuring the maintenance, continuity and success of any infrastructure for many years to come. 

NGOs are often accused of undermining local governments leading to serious tensions. A reliance on non-governmental sources of funding can lead to a negative dependency and doesn’t help the country in the longer term. The Country Assistance Framework (CAF) in Democratic Republic of Congo is an initiative for effective co-ordination between NGOs and government, ensuring the available capacity is put to best use (UNESCO). CAF calls for country-level co-ordination between NGOs and government; this needs to be practical and aimed at improving the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of various actors. UNESCO concludes that national-level philanthropy, NGO subsidies and sponsorship are essential for developing an organised civil society that can deliver MDGs and protect water resources. Developments in a country need to come from the creation of government institutions responsible for each sector which will ensure the long term success of water projects, rather than purely from unaccountable NGOs.

A further problem with NGO involvement in the African WASH sector is their self-interest and imposition of their own agendas. Mozambique, for example, is heavily dependent on donations from the Netherlands. This has led to projects being heavily influenced by Dutch donors and scientists who priorities large-scale users and investors over small-scale farmers. The 30 largest users use 89% of total volume whilst 910 other users 11% (IDS). It is hugely important the priorities of those in need are put first, and altruism does not begin to appear as neo-colonialism. 

The NGO sector also suffers due to a lack of organisation. The sheer number of NGOs within the WASH sector can pose problems. Activities are often scattered throughout many small projects and it is unclear who the individual charities are and what is being done by whom in different areas (UNESCO). This follows from NGOs as self-interested actors not clearly communicating with locals, governments and other NGOs to effectively deliver projects. Coordination is needed at all levels to ensure operations work together to achieve a goal of providing access to water. 

David Damberger, from Engineers without Borders, explains these issues with aid in his TEDx talk; he admits the failures of NGOs and how we can learn from their mistakes.

World Toilet Day: 19th November 2014

This is just a small post to draw attention to an important global event that took place last week. The 19th November was World Toilet Day, with 2014’s theme being ‘Equality and Dignity’. UN-Water, collaborating with governments, NGOs such as Water Aid and many other stakeholders, organised World Toilet Day to raise awareness of the poor levels of sanitation and hygiene in some parts of the world. Although inviting many jokes due to the often humorous topic of toilets, many talks and events took place to highlight these issues and engage people in plans of action to tackle problems. 

In brief: (UN-Water)

• 2.5 billion people, of the world’s 7 billion, do not have improved access to sanitation 
• 1 billion still defecate in the open - putting women and girls at risk of rape and abuse due to lack of privacy
• Where toilets do exist they are often unsuitable for populations with special needs (e.g. disabled and elderly) and women and girls needing facilities for menstrual hygiene

Click here for a message from the UN Deputy Secretary-General on World Toilet Day to a conference organised by Water Aid and Unilever in Brussels. He points out that 1.8 billion people woke up that morning drinking water contaminated by open deification, and encourages people to join him in facing the sanitation challenge head on and recognise the huge importance of the toilet for saving lives and preserving dignity. 

Access to clean water and toilets is something most people in developed countries take for granted and don't think twice about. Events such as World Toilet Day are vital to raising awareness for issues facing the world. Even if toilet humour is prominent around this issue, at least jokes mean people are acknowledging the need to improve sanitation.

I leave you with Matt Damon embracing the comical side to World Toilet Day: 

Matt Damon is one of the biggest campaigners for improving global access to water and sanitation and runs the charity water.org. 

Microfinance: The Way Forward?

Microfinance is increasingly being recognised as a sustainable development mechanism supporting entrepreneurship, alleviating poverty and reducing gender inequality. Small loans (typically less than half a million USD) are provided to the poor to fund small projects. Many organisations are using Microfinance to improve water access, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Water.org began it’s WaterCredit initiative in 2003, with their first African project in Kenya in 2005. They work on the premise that ‘many people in the developing world can, and want to, finance safe water and sanitation if they are able to pay for these services over time, as well as have a voice in their development and operation’ (Water.org). Water.org provides initial financing and technical expertise to Financial Institutions (FIs), connects them with WASH NGOs and helps them build small loan portfolios. By September 2014 they had disbursed 17,533 water and sanitation loans, serving 91,091 people, with an average loan recovery of 96% (Water.org). 

Click here to watch a video of Gary White, CEO of Water.org, explaining WaterCredit on CNBC Africa

There are numerous benefits to this scheme. Water access and sanitation needs are met whilst empowering local people, particularly females, by putting them in control of their own businesses. Easy access to water and sanitation subsequently means previous time spent fetching water can be spent on other activities, increasing the productivity of those with WaterCredit. Families working with the scheme can also grow their income by saving the money not being spent on the local vended water price. 

However, in my mind there are still a few issues with microfinancing the WASH sector in developing countries. It is questionable as to whether Microcredits actually alleviate poverty or just lead borrowers into a debt trap. Microfinance schemes are offered to the poor for almost everything so many people may find they are bound to repaying large numbers of loans in order to have a range of many basic services. Behavioural change is also required in several areas; creating water services does not necessarily lead to demand, and encouragement may be needed for people to actually use the new services.

Further, providing the funding to enable the creation of WASH services needs to be accompanied by additional changes ensuring the success and maintenance of each project. In a report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation they recognise the need to put appropriate policies in place to create space for the use of Microfinance in the WASH sector (Gates Foundation). Country-level assessments are needed examining local governments and banking systems for successful Microfinance projects. 

Microfinance, particularly through WaterCredit, is an important step in improving WASH services in Africa. As a response to failed aid schemes, it goes someway to assisting communities but is still not fully sustainable and may appear as neo-colonialism. Lenders need to ensure their loans are appropriate in the context of the countries’ policies, their funds will lead to successful schemes and not further debt.

Mapping Water Issues in Africa - Community Mapping Project

I am a self-confessed map lover, so was particularly taken by this Community Mapping project. A group of students originally from Rutgers University are using the work of NGOs such as Childfund to help communities in Africa adjust to water scarcity. Their aim is ‘to map the demands, problems, progress and regression of African countries’ in order to ‘educate the public and raise awareness’ (Mapping Water Issues in Africa: Our Goal). 

Throughout history maps have been used as power tools by the elite, but projects like this put the cartography process in the hands of the community. As GIS technology becomes increasingly user-friendly, individuals are able to contribute and affect policy decisions. Adapting to water scarcity requires group action and incorporating local knowledge is a highly effective approach.

The team acknowledge that issues of water stress are not simply down to a shortage of supply. They have worked with locals to map different data including water quality, the Ibrahim Index (degree of political stability), population living under $2 a day and mortality rates. 

Several important observations have come from this: North Africa and South Africa show the highest improvements in water sanitation, most particularly in urban areas (Mapping Water Issues in Africa: Observations). This can be seen to be correlated to the Ibrahim Index, with more democratic countries having higher sanitation levels; Examples are southern Africa, Algeria and Senegal. 

This is a key insight as countries without fair governments could be at greater risk of water scarcity. Therefore a vital aim for the future should be to increase political stability, in order to secure water supply. 

I will leave you to explore the maps yourself through this link: Community Mapping Africa. Enjoy!

Strategies for tackling water scarcity - 'Hard' vs. 'Soft' path approaches

In the past, the main method of overcoming water stress has been to invest heavily in infrastructure, particularly dams, to manage supply. This engineering response has been successful in producing cheap food and providing water and sanitation to large numbers of people, but the flip-side is also still apparent (Rijsberman, 2006). A new strategy is needed shifting the focus to demand management. 

The phrase “soft path for water” was coined by Pacific Institute founder, Dr. Peter Gleick. He explains this approach as more results being achieved at less cost, by adjusting the demands on what is presently available, rather than exploiting more of nature’s resources by seeking new supplies (Gleick, 2003). As large areas of Africa become increasingly water scarce, achievable approaches are needed given the limited means available to Africa’s policy makers. Soft path methods to reduce demand are far more realistic than high-cost, "hard path" engineering projects. Organisations such as the World Water Council and Global Water Partnership now encourage strategies that aim for higher water efficiency. 

A soft path approach success story is Biogas Technologies West Africa Limited and their work utilising human waste in specially constructed toilets. The toilets generate biogas, which then drive the lighting and mechanical pumps used to supply water for the toilets (Biogas Online). All the water is recovered and re-used, thereby saving a lot of valuable freshwater. This technology has been implemented in schools, hospitals and military barracks in Ghana and Ivory Coast with great results (Omole and Ndambuki, 2014). 

The advantages of soft path methods are clear: They are considerably cheaper than engineering options, and also incorporate local users in decision making processes. Educating people on impending water scarcity issues and also the methods to reduce their demands will have a far better impact than foreign investors muscling in with a costly infrastructure project. 

The debate about the merits of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ paths and which should be pursued in adapting to water scarcity has huge importance. While academics, scientists and policy-makers decide on the best strategy for tackling this increasing problem, it is vital people are being made aware of these issues and can work towards better water efficiency in the mean time. 

What is Water Scarcity?

Welcome to my first post! I am going to start by defining the main concepts in water scarcity and why it interests me.

The majority of you reading this take access to water for drinking, washing, and irrigating land to produce your food for granted, but this is far from the case in many places around the world. Water stress is not yet felt on a global scale, but as populations rise and usage increases, more and more regions do not have enough water. Around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, with a further 500 million approaching this situation (UN Water). With climate change, it is predicted that by 2025, almost two-thirds of the world will live under conditions of high water stress (FAO). 

Hydrologists assess water scarcity by looking at the population-water equation. Areas are regarded as water stressed when annual water supplies drop below 1,700m³ per person. Water scarcity occurs when this number falls to 1,000m³ per person, and ‘absolute scarcity’ to 500m³ per person. At this point the supply or quality of water cannot meet the demands upon the resource. 

It is important to distinguish between two different types of water scarcity: Physical and Economic. Areas can be water deficient if there is limited physical water to access and use, or because due to economic, political or social constructs, access to water is limited despite it’s availability. 

I travelled to Malawi this Summer, and as well as falling in love with the country, have developed a huge interest in Africa as a whole. Two-thirds of the growing population is affected by water scarcity, hindering their quality of life and economic progress (UN Water). The African continent is the poorest in the world and due to be the most affected by climate change, so the situation is set to get worse. Africa is predominantly economically water scarce; Investments in water resources and relevant human capacity in the region are not sufficient to meet water demands (IFPRI). Adequate water supplies are crucial for development in the region, so it is hugely important leaders and policy makers are aware and understand the issue (Falkenmark). 

Over the next few months I will be focussing on how the increasing problem of water scarcity can be approached and adapted to in Africa, hopefully educating myself and readers in the process! I leave you with a video from the FAO briefly summarising water scarcity, with a few tips for what you can do to help.