Water Sanitation, Accessibility and Shortages: A Woman’s Crisis

Water Sanitation, Accessibility and Shortages: A Woman’s Crisis

Jada Quinland

Background STATE COLLEGE, PA - In this present climatic condition, peace and security building is more than about the absence of War and the increasing need for domestic combat. Specifically, other peace and security threats such as clean water shortages and accessibility need development aid, humanitarian assistance, and democratic support. Water scarcity is a driving security concern in many developing countries as it causes “disruptions in sustainable supplies, distributions of portable water and levels of sanitation, and conflicts over resources demanding clean water (see figure 1). 115 According to a United Nations 2015 report presented at U.N. headquarters in New York, “ about 2.9 billion people in 48 countries will be facing water shortages within 10 years that could destabilize and jeopardize the “ very existence” of some countries. ”116 Meaning, between 2025 and 2030, they anticipate a global supply shortfall of 40%, which will pose a major threat to domestic and global security for government and non-government officials worldwide. 117 The United Nations General assembly adopted 17 sustainable development goals intended to evolve humanity and our world by 2030. 118 The sixth goal (SDG 6) is entitled “Clean Water and Sanitation” which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water sanitation for all. 119 This Intergovernmental Organization (IGO), like many others, believes that water and sanitation are at the core of sustainable development, and the range of services bodies of water provide amplifies poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. 120 Although SDG 6 is a recent iteration amongst the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on water security, there has been a historic chain of conversations around the global risks of water shortages and inaccessibility. For instance, in 1997, “the Mar del Plata conference in Argentina created an Action Plan on “Community Water Supply” , declaring that all peoples have the right to access drinking water in quantities and qualities that are equal to their basic needs. ”121 This was further raised by the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade that aimed to have safe water and sanitation across the world by 1990, and in 1992 the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro reiterated this goal, then again at the International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICWE) in Dublin.

122 Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging “Monkeypox” virus have demonstrated to many IGOs the prominent roles of sanitation, hygiene, and adequate access to clean water to

115 By. “Water Scarcity: The Most Understated Global Security Risk.” Harvard National Security Journal, 18 May 2018, harvardnsj.org/2018/05/water-scarcity-the-most-understated-global-security-risk/#:~:text=Globally%2C%20water%20 scarcity%20is%20 driving,however%2C%20in%20some%20cases%2C%20water. 116 Written by Zeeshan Aleem. “The Threat to Global Security from Water Shortages.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/03/the-threat-to-global-security-from-water-shortages/. 117 Ibid. 118 “Water and Sanitation | Department of Economic and Social Affairs.” United Nations, United Nations, sdgs.un.org/topics/water-and-sanitation. 119 Ibid. 120 Ibid. 121 Ibid. 122 Ibid.

prevent and contain transnational diseases and epidemics. 123 According to another IGO, the World Health Organization (WHO), handwashing is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 and Monkeypox virus. 124 Due to the aforementioned, the concept of water scarcity has evolved. Now, water scarcity can mean ”scarcity in availability due to physical shortage, scarcity in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply or due to a lack of adequate infrastructure. ”125 This ideological shift is because water use has been growing internationally at more than twice the rate of population increases in the last century, especially in arid regions.

126 World Water Day was declared to be celebrated within Women’s History Month (March) maybe as a coincidence; however, it highlights the negative correlation between women and water insecurity. Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are integral to improving health outcomes of women and girls, and the development of sustainable communities. 127Therefore women, especially women of color (WOC) (mostly found in developing countries), are crucial in this contextual discussion of peace and security building. With our presence and advocacy, global governance agencies are more likely to develop/restructure policies to address water insecurity through the lens of gender and racial equity. 128 Moreover, women’s water insecurity is a global health crisis that impacts a multitude of regions and ”disproportionately impacts women of color, low-income women, and their children. ”129

Studies show that women and girls are often primarily responsible for water collection, and have a worldwide devotion to 200 million hours each day to collect water for their households. 130 UNICEF conducted research that found 80 percent of households for which water collection is necessary, women and girls are responsible for retrieving water supplies. 131 For instance, in Sub-Saharan Africa, among households without running water, water collection duties are mostly performed by women and girls; in rural India, women can walk an average of 16 kilometers per day to collect water; in Latin America and the Caribbean, 31 percent of women retrieve their water from sources that are thirty minutes away from their homes. 132That is why building and maintaining sustainable water and sanitation systems are essential to the ability of women and girls to live ”healthfully anticipating heavy duty activities such as menstruation, pregnancy, child labor, and breast feeding. ”133

123 “Monkeypox Outbreak Can Still Be Contained, Insists UN Health Agency | | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, news.un.org/en/story/2022/05/1118882. 124 www.who.int/campaigns/world-hand-hygiene-day. 125 www.unwater.org/water-facts/scarcity/. 126 Ibid. 127 www.cfr.org/blog/womens-water-insecurity-global-health-crisis. 128 Ibid. 129 Ibid. 130 Ibid. 131 “Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 1 Jan. 1970, apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258617. 132 Ibid. 133 Ibid.

Figure #1

“Water stress is when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period, or when poor/unsensitized water quality prohibits its use –European Environment Agency”

Supporting Data

According to a literature review, Sub- Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-stressed countries of all regions. Secondly, the Middle East and North African region (MENA) have 60 percent of its population living in water-stressed areas. The report emphasized that water is already one of the main vulnerabilities faced by people living in this region, particularly those displaced by conflicts and their host communities. 134 Specifically, Mozambique, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Eritrea, India, Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, and many more are countries of high-water scarcity or low water sanitation accessibility as of 2021. 135 Moreover, the report's conclusion claimed that water deficits are linked to 10 percent of the increase in migration, 30 percent increase in health issues, and driving the steady decline in the Agricultural sector of arid state actors between 1970 and 2010.

136

Migration Impacts

The water sector, and the accessibility of water itself, implicitly/explicitly shape migration flows. And climate change is a key determinant of this water-induced migration. Extreme water events affecting water supplies for drinking, cooking, washing, and agriculture drive migration across

134 World Bank Group. “Lack of Water Linked to 10 Percent of the Rise in Global Migration.” World Bank, World Bank Group, 18 Aug. 2021, www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/08/23/lack-of-water-linked-to-10-percent-of-the-rise-in-global-migr ation. 135 Ibid. 136 Ibid.

the world. 137 For instance, in 2021 cyclone Eloise battered Mozambique displacing 100,000 to 400,000 people and contaminating the country’s water infrastructure. 138 People displaced by the storm needed food, hygiene kits, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the increased bacterial exposures of the flood. 139 Cyclones are an example of extreme water events that will play out more frequently and adversely as water crises worsen with climate change. 140 In another sense, migration will be induced by drought, as we saw in the Sahel in Africa, or by unregulated water management, as we saw in the Aral Sea region of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. 141

Conflict Impacts

As the MENA region is the world’s most water-scarce region, water is more often a casualty/driver of conflict or corruption rather than a reason for migration. 142 Particularly, water infrastructure is frequently targeted during conflict or in bargaining leverages. 143 ” Precipitating issues could include socio-political tensions; disputes over dams, reservoirs, and other large-scale projects; and disputes concerning environmental and resource issues. ”144 It is safe to claim the major underlying reasons for these conflicts include low rainfall; inadequate water supply, and dependency on one major water source; high population growth and rapid urbanization; modernization and industrialization; and a history of armed combat to solve scarcity problems and poor relations between countries and among groups within countries to gain scarce resources. 145

137 Cameron Fioret PhD Candidate, and Nidhi Nagabhatla Adjunct Professor. “How Droughts and Floods Lead to Migration - and 7 Things Governments Can Do to Help.” The Conversation, 11 May 2022, theconversation.com/how-droughts-and-floods-lead-to-migration-and-7-things-governments-can-do-to-help-156180. 138 Ibid. 139 Ibid. 140 Ibid. 141 Ibid. 142 World Bank Group. “Going with the Flow: Water's Role in Global Migration.” World Bank, World Bank Group, 20 Aug. 2021, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/08/23/going-with-the-flow-water-s-role-in-global-migration. 143 Ibid. 144 Levy, Barry S, and Victor W Sidel. “Water Rights and Water Fights: Preventing and Resolving Conflicts before They Boil Over. ” American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, May 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3076402/#:~:text=Water%20scarcity%20alone%2C%20however%2C%20is,c oncerning%20environmental%20and%20resource%20issues. 145 Ibid.

Figure #2 ”Access to safe water at home gives women hope, health, and opportunity. ”146

Agricultural Impacts

Approximately 97.5% of all water is either salt water or water that has become polluted. 147 Of the remaining 2.5%, nearly 70% is frozen in glaciers and the polar ice caps. 148 Less than 0.01% of all water worldwide is available for human use in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and easily accessible aquifers. 149 Alongside water supplies, the agricultural sector is an important contributor to a developing economy in many ways; from promoting food and energy security to providing jobs in rural areas and for individuals in marginalized communities such as WOC. 150The depletion of water availability in soils causes significant declines in crops and livestock production. 151 For instance, ”surface and groundwater supplies may decline during drought, affecting water availability and increasing costs to access water for crops or forage irrigation and watering livestock. “152

Health Impacts As mentioned in the background section, access to safe water is critical to the health of women and their babies during pregnancy and after. However, walking to collect water and carrying heavy vessels of water can be dangerous for a pregnant woman or straining for a young girl. 153 From maintaining a healthy pregnancy to nourishing a newborn child or raising a menstruating

146 “Women and Water - A Woman's Crisis.” Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/womens-crisis/. 147 Ibid. 148 Ibid. 149 Ibid. 150 “Agriculture.” Drought.gov, www.drought.gov/sectors/agriculture#:~:text=The%20depletion%20of%20water%20availability,forage%20irrigation% 20and%20watering%20livestock. 151 Ibid. 152 Ibid. 153 “Women and Water - A Woman's Crisis.” Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/womens-crisis/.

teen, women need safe and accessible water at home.

154 When women are empowered with safe water and toilets at home, they are empowered to change their world by focusing on other developmental activities/aspirations. 155Especially for women of color, lifting their burdens from a water crisis makes room for the opportunities for them to seek employment, an education, or other skill-based training that would add to their household income.

Recommendations

Policymakers, especially in conflict-affected regions like MENA, will need to make trade-offs between short-term, uncoordinated measures to respond to immediate water needs, and long-term measures to address structural water issues. Therefore, some suggestions are: 1. States/ NGOs/IGOs should invest more into desalination plants as a short-term goal that could turn salt water that surrounds most developing countries into purified water. For instance, “The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest, most technologically advanced, and energy-efficient seawater desalination plant in the nation. ”156 Anticipating that most developing nations can't afford this type of investment, it is up to different humanitarian platforms to push this resource-building intervention. Not only would this increase safe water reserves, but it would also decrease migration and conflict impacts within the original and receiving country. 2. The long-term could be to prioritize safety nets for future water shocks. Such as implementing or increasing national water reserves and increasing social advocacy on the value of water both in a domestic and international capacity. For example, Mozambique has a WASH program through the United Nations International Children’s Fund that works with the local government to embed SDG 6’s values and missions for water preservation. 157

154 Ibid. 155 “Women and Water - A Woman's Crisis.” Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/womens-crisis/. 156 Carlsbad Desal Plant, https://www.carlsbaddesal.com/. 157 “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).” UNICEF, https://www.unicef.org/mozambique/en/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash#:~:text=WASH%20 situation%20in%20 Mozambique,five)%20use%20improved%20sanitation%20facilities.