By Gavin Hudson •
September 17, 2008
Last week, EcoWorldly looked at water from different angles and from different countries.
1. Govind Singh of Delhi, India sees water as a reminder of his city’s past glory and its present predicament. To support Delhi’s many kingdoms of yore, the city built sophisticated water storage systems, called baolis. Today, with its population of 16 million straining the city’s water capacity, Delhi may revisit its abandoned baolis. Singh describes the ancient baolis: “A baoli, or step-well, consists a vertical shaft from which water can be draw. The surrounding inclined passageways and steps which provide access to the well. These were built to provide a constant supply of water to the residents of Delhi and now lie in ruins – wasted and disused.”
By Sam Aola Ooko •
September 12, 2008
Over one billion people - 18% of the world’s population - lack access to safe drinking water worldwide. Only 56% of Africa’s 800 million population have access to clean water. About 700 million people in 43 countries are affected by water scarcity, according to the UN.
In another few years - in 2025 to be precise - the number could swell to 3 billion driving back gains in the fight against poverty and under-development, otherwise known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
For many people around the world, safe drinking water is a scarce resource and out of necessity, they resort to what’s available - polluted water.
But contaminated water isn’t just dirty—it’s deadly. Some 1.8 million people die every year of diseases like cholera, caused by poor sanitation. Tens of millions of others are seriously sickened by a host of water-related ailments—many of which are easily preventable.
