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Water & Sanitation
Three ways to rethink water P6
Safe water and toilets everywhere for everyone by 2030 ONLINE CREDITS: © UNICEF/UN0208010/DEJONGH
IN SAFE WE TRUST
TO ELIMINATE TRACHOMA AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM.
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SURGERY ANTIBIOTICS FACE WASHING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
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IN THIS ISSUE The cost of inaction and why water-wise investors need to step forward
Why communities, companies and countries will have to change how they value and use water
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READ MORE ON GLOBALCAUSE.CO.UK Why does one third of the world still not have water or a toilet?
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Water management is central to achieving Sustainable Development Goals The water sector faces a pivotal moment in a world that is increasingly water scarce and impacted by climate change.
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et, the ever-increasing demands to allocate water to cities, industries, power suppliers, farmers, transport, and the environment, present an unprecedented challenge for the sector. Fortunately, quite recently, the international community and their political leaders have understood that change is necessary in water management so that we can face the challenges. That is why Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals is dedicated to addressing this challenge in low-, middleand high-income countries.
Diane D’Arras President, International Water Association
Water management must bridge the gaps between sectors and raise awareness at a political level.
The SDGs also make clear the centrality of water to addressing many other global goals. It presents a unique opportunity to create the sustainable water management of the future. Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report stressed this, pinpointing water as one of the critical risks we face over a ten-year horizon. Water is rightly considered a risk of high likelihood and high impact almost everywhere in the world. Delivering solutions for the complex water management
problems we face today, and in the future, requires a focus on integrated water management. It must bridge the gaps between sectors and raise awareness at a political level. Solving these problems also requires leading-edge scientific research and technological developments to be combined with the best water management practices. As a sector, we must embrace disruptive technologies and science, and adopt them at a much faster rate if we are to deliver the maximum benefit they can bring.
SMART WATER DELIVERED WITH EXPERTISE With Xylem‘s intelligent technologies and integrated solutions, we are solving the world‘s most complex water challenges and meeting our customers‘ most critical needs. Together, we can create a world in which water issues are no longer a barrier to human health, prosperity and sustainable development.
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Integrated plan to wipe out deadly water-borne infection
Dr Wendy Harrison Executive Director, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative
Collaboration is the key to wiping out a waterborne parasite that is blighting the future of millions in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 280m people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, are at risk of contracting the parasitic worm infection schistosomiasis by washing, working and playing in infected waters.
By the end of 2018, Imperial College’s Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) will have delivered 200m treatments for the disease. Schistosomiasis impacts child development, leaves hosts susceptible to internal organ damage and increases the risk of HIV in women. But in line with the World Health Organization’s target to eliminate the disease altogether, the team is now turning its attention to tackling the sources, including water and sanitation. Water and sanitation improvements Improving water and sanitation are key plans in the SCI’s new elimination strategy, but the team understands they cannot do this alone. “We are not experts in water and sanitation, so we want to focus on
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our partnerships with other organisations who are. That way we can all work together to benefit people living in these areas,” said Harrison. “We want to harness the power of the holistic or integrated approach. All the components and organisations involved are incredibly important. Put them together and we can have a huge impact.” Schistosomiasis life cycle The parasitic worm burrows through intact skin and into the blood vessels of its victims. Once inside parasites pair up and make their home in the blood vessels around thebladder or gut. They then release eggs which cause significant organ damage which are passed through urine and faeces and, when deposited into lakes and rivers, infect snails.
Data-driven networks save water and money Smart water technology is poised to lead the world out of a water crisis by transforming the economics of water utility operations. 14 billion dollars will be invested in smart water management between now and 2024, in a bid to improve utility operations and mitigate unnecessary water losses, according to the team at Xylem. “Utilities are already starting to adopt these smart technologies, driven by the need to mitigate water scarcity, improve operations, and efficiently meet EU regulations,” says Dan Iversen, Xylem Vice President. “We need to make sure there is consistent access to water, yet most of the water and wastewater infrastructure in Europe is leaking, bursting, or overdesigned.” What makes water smart? The answer lies in connecting the dots between intelligent equipment,
such as pumps and meters, smart networks, which collect information from throughout the system, and digital solutions, which utilise algorithms for proactive system management. “We can use these three elements to find out exactly what is happening in a system. That data will help us to make the right decisions and ensure resources are well invested,” Iversen explained. Research shows that the industry is waking up to the possibilities, including recent projects, such as one with Thames Water. Smart infrastructure can pinpoint leaks in water systems “Water and wastewater managers honestly have a really tough job. They are faced daily with a wide range of challenges – reducing leakage, managing emergencies, meeting stricter regulations – and all of these must be solved with limited resources,” said Iversen.
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Adult worms release thousands of eggs and some then end up back in the water, ready to start the whole process again. Eradication is essential The SCI, which was one of the first recipients of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant, believes WHO’s elimination target is not only possible, but essential. Dr Wendy Harrison said: “ The parasite has the biggest detrimental impact on school aged children and affects their ability to attend school and to learn. That has a knock-on effect on their productivity as adults.” Wiping it out would have a hugely positive impact on the future of the sub-Saharan countries it blights.
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Dan Iversen Vice President, Strategy and Marketing – Europe, Xylem Inc.
Leading water utilities are adopting these technologies, which are delivering impact in their operations and enabling stronger customer engagement. One of these utilities is Thames Water, as cited in Xylem’s recent whitepaper The Smarter Water Manager. Thames Water is the largest water and wastewater utility in the UK, serving 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley. To address water loss and identify supply issues, such as non-revenue water, a solution of smart meters and daily reporting was
implemented. As a result, customer engagement increased leading to a decrease in water consumption by an estimated 13%, and water leaks were located and remedied quickly. Xylem is supporting similar projects with utilities around the globe. For the global water sector, over 260 smart water projects were announced in 2017 and nearly 180 smart water projects have been announced as of July 2018. “It’s exciting to be with a company that is taking the lead in partnering with customers to prove the measurable value these new technologies provide and demonstrating that they do not pose a risk, – in fact the bigger risk is not doing anything at all.” Amanda Barrell
To download the Smarter Water Manager white paper, visit xyleminc.com
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No more ‘dry schools’
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Investors today can avert the water crises of tomorrow
Kelly Ann Naylor Global Chief of WASH, UNICEF, New York
A school without books is inconceivable. But we also know that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are just as essential as materials that children need to learn. However, millions of children attend ‘dry schools’, where WASH services are lacking. New findings from the first global assessment of data on WASH in schools, by the UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme, show that:
• One in four primary schools have no drinking water service • In 23% of schools, there are no sanitation services • 900 million children currently lack basic hygiene services When girls are unable to manage their period, they may not attend school. Without access to soap and water to wash their hands after defecating, and before eating, children and teachers are exposed to diseases like diarrhoea. This is preventable, and we must put an end to it. With this data, we have evidence of the need to prioritise the funding, installation and maintenance of WASH services in all schools for every child.
The threat of water scarcity is grave and growing. Conflicts are looming over Earth’s most precious resource. Water-wise investors need to step forward to quench tomorrow’s thirst and avert preventable suffering.
Whether water crises will surge tomorrow or not is decided in boardrooms of investors today. Will they choose to invest responsibly or will business-asusual come at the cost of crippling conflicts? Water is essential to life. It touches on nearly every aspect of development. Tragically, current water (mis) management causes four billion people to live in areas that face water scarcity already today. What’s more, the World Economic Forum identified water crises in the top-three system risks in terms of global impact, right alongside involuntary migration and weapons of mass destruction. Widespread desertification, failing harvests, factories closing store, and conflicts – potentially armed – are looming. Worst of all, population growth, increased affluence and climate change sketch a dim outlook for what lies ahead. The cost of inaction The World Bank warned that not acting on water sustainability can reduce national growth rates by up to 6% of GDP by 2050. Reaching SDG 6 (ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) requires an estimated financial
Rick Hogeboom Executive Director, Water Footprint Network
Investors greatly influence humanity’s water footprint. injection of a staggering US$2.6 trillion until 2050. While managing water wisely is a shared responsibility – governments, businesses and consumers all have to take on their role – no player has more influence on what we are in for, than investors. These affluent actors shape the economy of tomorrow. They greatly influence whether humanity’s water footprint will grow uncontrollably, or if we manage to keep it within sustainable margins. Wise water stewardship Steering clear of future misery requires responsible water investment to become the new standard – and fast. While the corporate world started waking to this realisation, investors – banks, pension funds, insurance companies and the like – struggle to come up with water-sustainable business models. Despite several responsible investment principles and CSR-frameworks out there, investors seem to
remain elusive as to what wise water stewardship comprises. It need not be difficult, though. It all starts with awareness. Awareness that the activities they are about to invest in will cost water too – not merely money. Water that needs to be shared with local firms, fish and families. It’s then only a matter of asking the right questions if it is water-wise to proceed with investing in the proposed activity. How much water will the new activity use and pollute? Is that use efficient, sustainable and fair? Are we considering direct operations only or also often overlooked supply chains? What can we do to reduce or improve water use? From scarcity to abundance What we need, most of all now, are frontrunners that take on the torch and lead the way. Visionaries, whose success stories will both convince and enlighten other investors and multinational’s to invest water responsibly. It took the world roughly four decades to start acting on the carbon crisis and climate change. Water is more visible than carbon, with dry rivers, dead fish and deprived communities as clear and unapologetic witnesses to its misuse. Let’s not wait another 30 years to move into action on water. If we become wise water stewards now, we can go from scarcity to abundance. Tony Greenway
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ways to rethink water From severe droughts today, to a multiplying risk of flood disasters in coming years, the world is adapting to a more volatile and uncertain water future. One thing of which I am certain, is that our water security is decreasing. People are using more water for everything from potato chips to microchips. To counter this, communities, companies and countries will have to change how they value and use water.
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Don’t send dirty water back into nature.
Don’t use more than you need.
Look at the world through a water lens!
Only some 20 per cent of the global domestic sewage is currently treated. New technologies, such as the ones invented by the 2018 Stockholm Water Prize Laureates, show that wastewater is in fact a resource, a liquid asset stream. Our effluent/waste contains 5 -10 times the energy required to treat it. It is why the busses in Stockholm run on biogas from our treatment plants. The sewage is also full of plant nutrients that for example make the Israeli desert, where 90 per cent of their wastewater is reused, bloom - instead of destroying our lakes and seas with eutrophication and algal blooms.
Industry seldom pay the full cost for their water. For example, food, energy and manufacturing companies need better incentives to invest in using less water. We need to produce goods, services and crops using less water.
Greater awareness and discussion is needed on how to invest our water resources wisely in our economies. We also need to invest in the institutions and infrastructure that manage our waters. Our current governance systems are mainly built for abundance. Increasing water demand (over 55 per cent globally), together with climate change, means there are very rough waters ahead. We need flexible but firm governance that can help us to surf the waves, towards the future we want.
Torgny Holgrem Chief Executive, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
We Shape A Better World
See more online at arup.com/expertise/industry/water
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Why does one third of the world still not have a toilet? One in nine people globally do not have clean water close to home. One in three people do not have a toilet, despite the long-established, devastating consequences.
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ver 150 years ago, the link between water polluted by human waste and cholera was made by epidemiologist John Snow. A few years before, Ignaz Semmelweis made the case – later accepted to be correct – that unwashed obstetrician’s hands killed new mothers by causing sepsis. Yet here we are in 2018, and still one in nine people do not have clean water close to home and a staggering 2.3 billion people do not have a decent toilet. One third of schools do not have water or toilets, meaning children become dehydrated during the day and have to use school grounds for a toilet – creating a dangerously unhygienic environment. In the one third of healthcare facilities without clean water, patients are put at high risk of infection as it is impossible to keep wards clean. One child dies every two minutes from dirty water and poor sanitation The consequences of this shocking situation are grave – one child dies every two minutes from diarrhoea caused by dirty water and lack of sanitation. The World Bank estimates that, in 2015 alone, a lack of sanitation cost the global economy $230 billion and women waste hours of their lives daily walking to fetch water that is – even then – often unsafe. Why does this situation continue? There are some technical challenges to water engineers – the growing impact of climate change on providing sustainable service being one such challenge but, in general, the difficulties are not logistical but political.
Tim Wainwright Chief Executive, WaterAid UK
One third of schools do not have water or toilets, meaning children have to use school grounds for a toilet.
Decision-makers do not see sanitation problems Too often the water and sanitation is hidden in areas less frequented by those politicians and decision makers with the power to make the change, such as remote rural locations or chaotic illegal slums. While access to water and sanitation are both human rights, the breach of these rights is too often accepted as ‘the way that it has always been’. The determination to end the crisis lacks urgency. Few politicians seem to want their legacy to be a commemorative plaque outside a sewage works or community toilet block – despite the fact that prioritising these areas would transform the health, wellbeing and prospects of communities. One notable exception is Indian Prime Minister, Modi, who has pledged that everyone in his country will have a toilet by the end of 2019 – a monumental challenge given that around half its population in 2014 did not have one. Ending the crisis by 2030 In 2015, the international community, led by the United Nations, promised that, by 2030, everyone, everywhere would have safe water and toilets – but recent reports show that on current progress the deadline will be missed. The need is urgent for everyone – governments, businesses, financial institutions, as well as development organisations like WaterAid – to ditch business as usual and step up to the challenge of ending the water and sanitation crisis in this generation.
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Zambian communities “thrive” with a safe, reliable water supply Communities in Zambia that once lacked clean drinking water are now flourishing, thanks to an initiative that is installing hand washing stations and proper toilet facilities. SPONSORED
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lean, safe drinking water is something that most of us take for granted. In fact, we regard it as a human right. We’ve always had it, so we always expect it, every time we turn on our taps. But, in some parts of the world, where there are no taps and where sanitation is poor or nonexistent, water is neither clean nor safe to drink. It’s a more common problem than you might think. According to a WHO/UNICEF joint monitoring programme report, 844 million people don’t have clean water, and 2.3 billion don’t have access to a toilet. Unsafe drinking water causes sickness in Zambia Lack of safe water isn’t just a reality for people in their home environments. It’s also an issue for children in schools. Indeed, statistics from UNICEF’s Advancing WASH in Schools Monitoring, show that 31% of schools around the world are without clean water. The health implications of this are all too obvious. Contaminated water is a killer. Globally, waterborne diseases claim the lives of 3.4 million people every year. Take Zambia, for instance, a country where five million people don’t have access to clean drinking water. In affected communities, people are sick with constant diarrhoea, simply because of the dirty water they have to drink in order to survive. Disease is widespread among the young and old — but it poses a particularly serious risk to children because
their immune systems are too weak to fight off the attack of parasites, bacteria and viruses carried in the water. Digging water wells and improving sanitation This is why The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust — a US-based organisation that aspires to improve lives around the world with health and select place-based initiatives — recently launched an effort to get water to Zambian communities in need through its Vulnerable Children in sub-Saharan Africa Programme. Part of the programme’s remit is to promote good health, nutrition, and sanitation practices throughout communities in the region.
Waterborne diseases claim the lives of 3.4 million people every year.
Working in partnership with international nonprofit organisation WaterAid, Helmsley is ensuring that broken water and sanitation infrastructures in Zambia are being fixed, desperately needed water wells are being drilled, and sanitation and hygiene is being improved with the construction of proper toilets and hand washing stations. To date, 130 new water wells have been dug and 80 water wells have been rebuilt in the country.
Schools and communities are flourishing This hasn’t only brought health benefits to the Zambian people. In a landscape without clean water, where survival is a day-to-day challenge, education is often an afterthought. Now, however, village schools that have clean drinking water and proper toilet facilities are becoming hubs around which communities can begin to flourish. What’s more, student numbers are going up because children and teachers are able to access a safe, reliable water supply at school. “Before [we had clean] water, our enrolment was 364 (children),” says Precious Kamocha, a teacher at Nampongo School in the south of the country. “Now from 364, enrolment has increased to 550 within a short time. Why? Because of access to water and toilets.” More time to focus on education It also means that children are able to focus on learning, rather than surviving. “Now, most of the time will be dedicated to school work,” says Alfred Njaame, Headmaster at Monze School in the Southern Province of Zambia. “Unlike the minutes and hours [the children] used to waste going out to fetch water.” Of course, the Helmsley Charitable Trust and WaterAid are not saying ’mission accomplished’ because of these successes. They have undoubtedly more to do to help other communities in Zambia who are in need of clean water, with more wells to dig and more water stations and toilet facilities to install. But so far, the programme has had a massive, positive impact on the lives of 50,000 people in the country including children, teachers and entire families. Every time they turn on the tap.
Read more on helmsleytrust.org
Top 10 facts Tackling neglected tropical diseases with water, sanitation and hygiene NTDs and access to water and sanitation are major global challenges
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NTDs and poor WASH conditions contribute to poverty NTDs overload already stretched health systems in developing countries, and some of them can lead to catastrophic expenditures, reduce individual productivity and impact national economies.2
More than 1 billion people in 149 countries suffer from NTDs. These diseases thrive in areas where there is lack of basic sanitation. About 2.4 billion people worldwide do not have adequate sanitation facilities, and 663 million do not have access to improved drinking water sources.1 2.
Facial cleanliness and environmental improvement are key to eliminating trachoma Trachoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness. It is caused by a bacterial infection transmitted through contact with eye-seeking flies, fingers and fomites. Facial cleanliness and environmental improvement are primary prevention components of WHO’s SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination. Water is required for face washing to remove eye discharges. Environmental improvement includes safe disposal of excreta to reduce fly populations.3 3.
Sanitation prevents soil transmitted helminth infections
Breeding sites for mosquitoes are reduced through improved sanitation and water management
Sanitation is a primary prevention strategy for soil-transmitted helminthiases. It prevents faecal pathogens such as intestinal worm eggs from contaminating the environment and infecting people through contaminated food, water, dirty hands and direct skin contact with the soil. Soil-transmitted helminthiases currently affect hundreds of millions of children worldwide, leading to undernutrition, anaemia and poor school performance.4
Improved sanitation and water management can greatly help to reduce proliferation of mosquitoes that transmit diseases to humans, such as lymphatic filariasis, dengue and chikungunya. Poorly constructed latrines facilitate the breeding of the Culex mosquito, which transmits filarial parasites to humans. Safe storage of water can greatly prevent the breeding of the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes which transmit dengue and chikungunya to humans mainly in urban areas.5
Protecting freshwater from contamination reduces schistosomiasis Improved sanitation can prevent faeces and urine which contain worm eggs from contaminating surface water. This can reduce the transmission of schistosomiasis. Since some schistosome species are also transmitted through animal (cow, buffalo) urine or faeces, it is important to protect freshwater from animals and animal waste.6
Safe water is essential to treat and care for NTDs
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Healthcare facilities and households need clean water and hygienic conditions for wound management and surgeries required for the treatment of many NTDs. For guinea worm, Buruli ulcer, or cutaneous leishmaniasis, wound management is needed to speed up healing and reduce disability. People with chronic disabilities from lymphatic filariasis need to maintain rigorous personal hygiene with water and soap to prevent secondary infections.7
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WASH improves the quality of life for people affected by NTDs Lymphatic filariasis and leprosy can lead to permanent disability making tasks such as carrying water long distances or accessing toilets difficult. People affected by these diseases need water to manage the symptoms of the disease, but often face stigma and can be excluded from accessing water and sanitation facilities, increasing their risk of poverty and severe illness. Clean water and soap are needed to maintain personal hygiene and dignity for these groups. Efforts to reduce stigma and exclusion are also required.8 6.
Progress on NTDs can be an indicator of access to WASH services
10. Collaboration between WASH and NTD A closer collaboration between WASH and NTD programmes can greatly improve the lives of populations affected by NTDs. Synergies can be created through collaborative planning, delivery and evaluation of programmes, strengthening and sharing of evidence, and using monitoring tools to improve the equity of health services and target the most vulnerable, underserved populations.10
NTDs are most common in rural, vulnerable and marginalised populations where people do not have access to water and sanitation services. Progress or lack of progress on control or elimination of certain NTDs could be an indicator of whether WASH programmes are targeting the right communities and populations.9 1.
SUSANA SECRETARIAT/I. JURGA 2.SIGHTSAVERS/KATE HOLT 3.WATERAID/BEHAILU SHIFERAW
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