Political

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WSSCC Member Flash
Periodic updates for WSSCC members on hot and late-breaking topics   

Global Handwashing Day Special Edition

The practice of handwashing with soap has been prominent in the last few years on the international hygiene agenda. The second annual Global Handwashing Day takes place on Thursday, 15 October 2009 in countries all over the world, including countries where WSSCC is active through its National WASH Coalitions. The guiding vision of Global Handwashing Day is a local and global culture of handwashing with soap. Although people around the world wash their hands with water, very few wash their hands with soap at critical moments (for example, after using the toilet, while cleaning a child, and before handling food).  

One of the aims of the IRHA's programs is to sensitize the population towards the benefits that rainwater provides. For should the advantages of the use of rainwater harvesting be recognized amongst professionals, is the population aware of it? Let us move out of the space where development specialists are dealing! Let us diffuse the information to the public at large and develop a common language. All these will certainly enable us to reach people who could support us in our work of the protection of as vital resource as water.

We would like to have more water in Greece, Australia and the South of Spain, less water in the United Kingdom and in Bangladesh. We would like to save the animals which die in Argentina due to flooding, and protect those which risk dying the following year due to lack of water. Not only must the act of rainwater harvesting be the priority of national political program on the agenda, but it could also become an environmental contribution for everyone. Furthermore, in calling for common effort to protect the planet, it should lead diverse cultures to come together. Good rainwater harvesting is an objective by itself, but it is also a means for adapting the world to its most haunting problem, which is the climate change.

This research study, by Veena Srinivasan, addresses the challenge of supplying water to rapidly growing cities in South Asia, using evidence from the water-scarce city of Chennai. Chennai (formerly Madras) is a rapidly growing metropolis of over 6.5 million people, whose infrastructure has not kept pace with its growing demand for water. In the year 2003-2004, Chennai experienced a severe water crisis, the piped supply for the entire city was virtually shut down for a 12-month period. Consumers became dependent on private tanker suppliers trucking in untreated groundwater from peri-urban areas.

Friends,

This being a water related portal, most of you reading this will be aware of how important is water to one. In recent days, you all might be seeing that there has been devastating floods and huge amount of destruction caused by Rain. It was really very painful for all of us to see the situation over in northern karnataka wherein people have lost almost everything - Houses and crops. For a farmer, water is everything. Without this, he cant even imagine his life.

Just imagine a farmer for whom water is something like a GOD suddenly becoming destructive. This is what has happened in many villages of northern Karnataka. Whole of Onion, sugarcane crops is completely blown away due to heavy rains.

We, a team of Volunteers from Aastha went to Ramdurga Taluk of Belgaum district to do our bit to all those who have been hit by heavy rains and floods. With the support of our Keane colleagues, we were able to collect huge amount of old clothes and donation. With the donation we received, we purachased, sarees, utensils, dhothi, towels, blankets, biscuits and with the assistance of Taluk tahsildar and local Village heads, we were able to support more than 200 families.

But, there were so many children crying out of hunger which made our hearts heavier than ever.

In the name of floods and heavy rain, it has made so many people homeless!!

 Biome Solutions, a Bangalore-based company working on sustainable architecture and buildings visited some flood affected areas in Guntur to observe the situation and see the suitability of applying "Ecological Sanitation", a new approach to sanitation. (Search on India Water Portal for "Ecological sanitation" for more information on this). Their report  after their travels can be seen below.

A point of interest is the picture of a flooded toilet. Pit toilets which are the norm in rural areas have the disadvantage that during floods the pit below the toilet (where the human waste accumulates over time) gets flooded and the toilet becomes unusable. The faecal matter can come out of the toilet pan and create a real mess which needs to be cleaned up. 

Read their report at: 

http://biomesolutions.blogspot.com/2009/10/visit-to-flood-affected-areas-in-guntur.html

Positions available for Research Fellows and Senior Research Fellows

Job Description
• Manage content for OneWorld’s Integrated Knowledge System on Climate Change Adaptation (www.bhoogyan.net)
• Conduct research on climate change and development
• Moderate/facilitate a discussion list on Bhoogyan
• Engage with partner organisations on related activities

The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) is looking for a couple of young and enthusiastic professionals with interest in rural development issues to work with their Aravali Coordination Office team at Bhilwara, Rajasthan.

Opportunity Description: Reach Out Water Solutions