Posts by Abigail Brown
Abigail Brown manages water resources in Washington State.
Are You Ready for a Global-Water Multimedia Adventure?
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on June 15, 2009 at 9:00 PM.
Already today, I have been able to visit people and places in Yemen, India, Mexico, Niger, and Kenya to learn more about local and global water issues. How, you may ask? Easy, I reply -- The Water Channel.
The Water Channel is a partnership between MetaMeta Communications, UNESCO-IHE, Cap-Net and Nymphaea. It compiles videos from around the world on water topics ranging from Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) to watershed education and outreach.
My favorite videos so far include -
Water is a Gift: An artful, short animation about water produced by the Natural Water Resources Authority in Yemen (complete with English subtitles). This animation juxtaposes drawings and digital video to talk about the significance of groundwater and drip irrigation in Yemen.
Tears (Lagrimas): A short “fictional” film about a young girl wistful for the days when she was able to access water at a local water source. This video has no words, only images, and was shown at fourth World Water Forum in Mexico.
Kenya: What Water Means to Me: One teacher at Karen ‘C’ Primary School in Kenya documents her students’ views on water. These students discuss the role of H20 in their daily lives: water shortages at school, water shortages at home, water-borne illnesses, and possible solutions to these water problems.
If you want to see others, visit the 164 videos (and counting) at The Water Channel website.
New Years Resolution: Live on 13 Gallons of Water a Day
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on January 5, 2009 at 7:51 PM.
Recently, someone asked me “Do you track your water use?” I thought thoroughly about my reply to that question. In many ways I conserve water: only flushing the toilet when necessary, turning off the faucet during hand washing and teeth brushing, taking short showers, limiting outdoor watering, and only washing full loads of clothes and dishes. But, do I track my water use -- in detail -- gallon by gallon?
Well, our three-person (two-unit) household does keep track of monthly water use through our utility bills. On average, our household uses 216.92 gallons per day. That equals 72.3 gallons per person each day. Now, I’m ashamed to say this is higher than the average in my town of 66 gallons per person each day. So, where are we going wrong? I’m a water-conscious person, but my house and the attached mother-in-law unit are still exceeding the municipal average.
This new year, I’ve decided to make two important resolutions:
- Conduct a Household Water Audit
- Live for One Week on a Human Right Allocation of Water
It is my hope that these actions will reduce my water consumption and raise my awareness about the importance of access to water. Read on to follow my endeavors in the new year.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe a Humanitarian and Water Crisis
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on November 26, 2008 at 1:23 PM.
Zimbabwe is encountering a severe water and humanitarian crisis. Two weeks ago, the High Court in Zimbabwe shut down because of a lack of water supply. And, over the last month, approximately 8,887 people have contracted cholera and 366 people have died. Four large hospitals and many local clinics in the country have closed or turn away new patients because of a lack of medical supplies.
The cholera outbreak is spreading fast because of poor water and sanitation conditions around the country. Government-run water treatment facilities have not imported enough chemicals for treatment, raw sewage is found in neighborhoods as sewer lines are broken, and many individuals do not have access to clean drinking water. There is no stable government in Zimbabwe to provide these basic governmental services.
Robert Mugabe, of the ZANU-PF party, held power in the country for the last 28 years. In March, Morgan Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change, won the first round of elections. But after much violence and intimidation against his supporters, Tsvangirai decided to concede. Both parties agreed to a power-sharing agreement in September, but Mugabe did not grant Tsvangirai adequate access to governmental offices. Now the two leaders are attempting to discuss the power-sharing agreement in South Africa; meanwhile the country waits in despair.
gleick
Peter Gleick: Water and the Next President
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on October 2, 2008 at 11:45 AM.
The economy, health care, Iraq, government spending, nuclear proliferation...
What else should the incoming president of the United States focus on?
Water -- as noted recently in WIRED magazine by leading water researcher, Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute, a think-tank in California that works to "advance environmental protection, economic development, and social equity."
Mr. Gleick's eight proposals to the next president include focusing on water at home and abroad.
Check out the WIRED page to view the eight hypothetical slides.
The text is quoted below:
- The US mismanages water at all levels. For instance, states compete for resources.
Proposal: Establish a non-partisan national water commission to recommend policy changes - Drought costs $6-8 billion a year. Rivers are over-allocated. Reservoir levels are falling.
Proposal: Promote water conservation to reduce pressure on limited supplies. - Domestic water supplies and systems are vulnerable to multiple security threats. Proposal: Improve monitoring. Hold water-security workshops at the US War Colleges, State Department, CIA, and DHS.
- Water has profound implications for international security as well.
Proposal: Empower the US State Department to address global water-related disputes. - Nearly 1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water...
Proposal: Fund clean-water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in the developing world. - ..leading to 2.5 million deaths annually from preventable illnesses and malnutrition. Proposal: Take a leadership role in eliminating waterborne diseases.
- Climate change will intensify flooding, storms, drought, and disease. Proposal: Factor the effect of climate change on water supplies into all new infrastructure projects.
- Taking water seriously is a no-brainer.
Proposal: Put water at the center of your administration's strategic agenda.
For more information on McCain's and Obama's views on water policy, see
here and
here and
here.
lakechad
Why Are the World's Lakes Disappearing?
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on June 10, 2008 at 1:00 PM.
An estimated three hundred and four million of them across the globe, and yet still, researchers are noticing many inland lakes are beginning to dry.
In Siberia, Central Asia, East Africa, and North America -- the results are the same -- lakes simply cannot compete with man-made alterations to the environment.
And, these are not just small lakes, some of the lakes with dropping water levels are gigantic in size.
There are 122 large lakes in the world each over 1000 square kilometers (386 square miles).
Lake Victoria, in Africa, is the largest tropical lake in the world at 68,800 square kilometers (26,560 square miles). Mounting water-level decline in this lake is slowly eroding the livelihood of local fisherman and ranchers, agricultural producers, and industrial water users near the lake. A lack of suitable drinking water or dependable power supply is also becoming more common in the region.
Morning Edition on NPR recently aired a segment on Lake Victoria by corespondent Jessica Partnow: Battle for Resources Grows as Lake Victoria Shrinks. She has also reported on dropping water levels in Lake Haramaya in Africa for World Vision Report. Sometimes occasional fluctuations of water levels in lakes are natural, but the current rate that many lakes are beginning to go dry throughout the world is not.
Humans alter the natural environment near lakes and water levels decline. We build dams, over-pump rivers, over-use groundwater, put roads and parking lots in natural recharge areas, build industries in locations without enough water, over-irrigate our crops, and, often, we use too much water in our homes. Not to mention the effect of a changing climate on water supply sources.
But, some things that could help 'decline' at least some of this water-level decline include:
- conservation, conservation, conservation
- grow crops in regions they are acclimated (low-water crops)
- alternative water supply sources such as rainwater harvesting systems
- pursue green "water conservative" development techniques
- reduce the pavement
- rethink industrial production
- low impact living
- conservation, conservation, conservation.
Here's a few other lakes around the world with dropping water levels:
iraq
In Iraq 70 Percent of People Lack Clean Water
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on May 1, 2008 at 12:00 PM.
Less than half of Iraq's population of 29 million people have access to clean, drinkable water. And, according to a recent report by Oxfam, the number of civilians in Iraq without water has risen from 50 percent to 70 percent during 2003 to 2007 (the continued US occupation).
Recent History of Water in Iraq
In the recent past, Iraq had over 140 drinking water and treatment facilities in operation. Air attacks in 1991, during the Persian Gulf War destroyed many of these water treatment plants.
At the same time, UN imposed sanctions disallowed trade between Iraq and other countries. This made import of needed chemicals and supplies for upkeep of the water treatment facilities difficult.
By 2003, Iraq's 140 major water treatment facilities were operating at about 35 percent of their design capacity. In March 2003, the US government launched a direct-attack on Iraq. This continued war, for over five-years now, has rendered useless the already deteriorating water infrastructure systems across the country.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
india
Road Trip Around India Explores Water Challenges
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on April 23, 2008 at 9:33 PM.
One man's dream will soon raise the world's awareness about the complexity of water challenges occurring in India. Beginning on Saturday, April 26th in Bangalore, CS Sharada Prasad will travel 19,000 km (11,807 m) on motorbike to document the meaning and encompassing challenges of water to people in India.
Crossing 15 major rivers, 28 states, and 7 territories, Mr. Prasad will document his journey on a blog called "K2K - In Search of Water." His route will be mapped with a GPS unit attached to his motorbike and uploaded to Google Maps.
Geotagged blog posts will be updated everyday and photos from his journey will be available on EveryTrail and Flickr.
The trip will take over two months to complete, visiting places such as the Khardung La Pass at 18,380 feet to Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of mainland India. Mr. Prasad will meet with local citizens, organizations, and community leaders to bring light to their accomplishments and challenges regarding sustainable water supplies.
This event will be a great opportunity for students, classrooms, and people around the world to follow along with his adventure and become educated about water supplies in India. Sharada Prasad is a project officer for the India Water Portal and Blog developed by Archyam, a nongovernmental organization. Archyam "seeks to support strategic and sustainable efforts in the water sector that address basic water needs for all citizens."
reeds
Ecuador Embraces Natural Water Treatment
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on March 31, 2008 at 5:16 PM.
Ecuador was recently recognized on World Water Day 2008 for an innovative yet simple approach to water treatment using aquatic lentil and water lettuce.
The people of San Rafael de la Laguna, an indigenous community of 4,700, constructed a water treatment facility along the edge of Lake Imbakucha to offset polluted discharge from local tourist facilities and agricultural practices.
The water treatment facility removes up to 90 percent of the contamination, and the clean water is then used for irrigation of reeds. Local artisans create furniture, crafts, and paper from the reeds, and sell the products through the Totora Sisa Cooperative.
map
Turkey, Iraq and Syria to Form Collaborative Water Institute
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on March 16, 2008 at 6:04 PM.
The Middle East is an area rich in oil reserves but without ample water supplies to sustain a growing populace.
Over 21 politically distinct countries and jurisdictions maintain 5% of the world's total inhabitants with less than 1% of the world's water reserves. At times, coming to an agreement on how to share the three river systems (the Jordan, Nile, and Tigris-Euphrates) that traverse the region make water policy a virtual nightmare.
Now three countries are coming forward to resolve past arguments on transboundary water issues. Turkey, Iraq, and Syria will soon form an institute to study water in the Middle East, as detailed in The Zaman (a major Turkish newspaper).
Experts, scholars, and professionals from each country will begin meetings at Turkey's Atatürk Dam to share information and work on resolving past water-allocation problems.
Goals of the institute include:
- Develop and share information on irrigation and potable water technology.
- Map water resources in the Middle East.
- Release a report on effective water management in each country (for release on April 15th).
Management of water storage and
dams in the region will be an aspect of the institute's endeavors. Turkey and Syria will attempt joint construction of a dam on the
Asi River.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
forum
World Economic Forum Takes on Water Crisis
Posted by Abigail Brown, Water For The Ages on January 28, 2008 at 10:01 PM.
Water was a major topic of conversation at the World Economic Forum 2008 (WEF) coming to a close in Davos, Switzerland.
At the forum, according to the Environmental News Service, Bills Gates announced a grant of $306 million dollars for development projects to help boost yields of crops for farmers in developing countries. It is unclear whether a portion of this money will be devoted to water conservation practices in conjunction with agriculture. Also discussed was implementation of a cap and trade system for water supplies and the importance of market forces in water allocation.
Leaders at the forum pledged renewed support for the UN's Millennium Development Goals, of which one goal is to increase access to safe drinking water.
Created as a venue for dialogue, research, and networking among economic and political leaders, the WEF is often criticized for more talk rather than action, a membership majority of industrialized countries (primarily USA, Europe, and Asia), and limited media access to specified plenary sessions.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
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