Access to clean water is a basic need that most developing countries don’t have adequate access to, which can lead to many health and sanitation issues. It is important that we help pave the way to help fight the problem and assist these communities attain the resources they need. There are…
Posts tagged Water Crisis
If you thought that Emilio Morenatti would have had enough of the world’s hot spots after he lost his left foot in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan 15 months ago, then you’re not thinking like a photojournalist. Mr. Morenatti has returned to the worst of it, covering the cholera epidemic in Haiti, which had killed more than 900 people by Sunday. His work is presented here along with pictures by Ramon Espinosa of The Associated Press, Andres Martinez Casares of the European Pressphoto Agency and Damon Winter of The New York Times. They are the kind of intimate pictures that compel outsiders to confront a disaster that many would just as soon ignore; to see faces and bodies — instead of statistics. That is Mr. Morenatti’s stock in trade. (16 more pictures and a great article - click on READ MORE)
FROM CORY: It’s interesting to note that there are a lot of causes for the result of the water crisis. Lots of people harp on over-use of city/rural water or contamination, and all those have hugely valid points. it is, however, nice to read an article that brings something new to the table. This article was shared with me by @jonathanheston “The soils in large areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including large parts of Australia, Africa and South America, have been drying up in the past decade, a new study finds. The study is the first major one of its kind to look at the movement of water from the land to the atmosphere, called “evapotranspiration,” on a global scale. This phenomenon returns about 60 percent of annual precipitation back to the atmosphere, in the process, using more than half of the solar energy absorbed by land surfaces. This is a key component of the global climate system, linking the cycling of water with energy and carbon cycles. Most climate models have suggested that evapotranspiration…”
living philanthropic is a very cool site; the guy donates something to one no-profit EVERY day. on day 80, he chose a water org. pretty cool site, check Carlos out!
Because it’s important to recognize the blessings that have become so commonplace that we neglect the acknowledge their significance. Being in a country and area with fresh, clean water is so readily available, it’s very easy to overlook the fact that each time we turn on the tap we are blessed. Water gives us life and we need to recognize that not everyone has access to the water they need, so I am supporting ONE DROP as they work to provide all humans access to clean water.
ONE DROP™ believes that water access is an fundamental right.The interdependence of nature and humans means water issues are everyone’s issue. Without water, there is no life on Earth. Water sustains our daily lives, however its distribution and accessibility is not equal around the world. It is therefore our responsibility as human beings to ensure that water is made accessible to everyone, in sufficient quantity and quality, today and tomorrow.
How ONE DROP works
Their capacity to back local partners around the world is measured by the invaluable drops of support from people like you who have chosen to mobilize.
ONE DROP —inspired by the creativity of Cirque du Soleil and its longstanding commitment to community involvement—uses circus, visual and multimedia arts along with folklore, popular theatre, music and dance to encourage change in communities.
In addition to raising awareness of water-related issues by entertaining and educating, ONE DROP works side by side with local partners to improve living conditions of disadvantaged communities through access and responsible use of natural resources, especially water.
ONE DROP™ focuses its efforts on two spectrums:
Developing countries facing urgent water access problems;
Developed countries that have the means to share the wealth, where per-capita water consumption is very high.
Read more about their projects
Amount Donated: $5
To support One Drop, please visit: http://www.onedrop.org
Why water matters
Posted: August 13th, 2010 | Author: admin | Filed under: water | No Comments »
a typical water source in Uganda
Prior to visiting Uganda in January, 2010, I had no idea what the ‘water crisis’ was. I can truthfully say I had never thought about the 1 billion people on this earth without access to clean water. I literally thought that if a village didn’t have indoor plumbing, they headed down to the river and grabbed some water when they needed it. I had no idea the water they got, they often times walked 4 miles for. Or that the water they are getting has the potential to kill them. Or that it’s often little girls going to fetch water. Oh yeah, and that a full jerry can of water is about 40lbs.
That being said, some facts to consider:
- Around 1 billion people on earth don’t have access to clean drinking water
- 80% of all sickness and disease today is caused by unsafe drinking water
- 3.6 million die each year from water related illnesses
- in just Sub-Saharan Africa, 40 BILLION hours per year are spent collecting water.
- possible effects of drinking unsafe water: a life-threatening diarrhea, E.coli, Hepatitis A, Cholera, and numerous other bacteria and parasites.
Water gives hope
- Health of adults and children improves
- Girls no longer need to spend 4 hours fetching water and can now get an education.
- Adults are healthier and better able to work.
- Economies improve
Water is a crucial step towards eradicating extreme poverty in developing nations. Massive amounts of labor hours are lost collecting water. Water is the first step to sanitation, health, improved economies, and ultimately, an improved world.
Three Avocados exists to both provide a global marketplace for coffee farmers in developing nations, and to give 100% of our profits back to these countries to help fight poverty. We believe a simple change in consumers purchasing habits can change the world. We believe we can change the world…..with your help.
