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Addisen Rowles

Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

4 April 2019

Every Drop Counts: Why Do Water and Sanitation Systems for the Poor Still Fail?

Did you know that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with

absolute water scarcity (lack of sufficient water), and two-thirds of the world’s population could

be living under water stressed conditions? Water stressed conditions are on a scale of how

accessible water is, the quality of water accessible, and the environmental flow of water. This

statistic is one of many completed by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social

Affairs (UNDESA). Water scarcity is having a lack of water and the countries that suffer from

water scarcity are consuming impure water, that is not easily accessible. The price to pay for

consuming impure water is higher than anyone would like to pay, and in developing countries it

can cost a child their life. This statistic is one of many completed by the United Nations

Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). UNDESA also states that “every

minute a child dies of a water-related disease,” and on a larger scale, “more than 840,000 people

die each year from water-related illness.” Safe drinking water is most often taken for granted in

first-world countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and plenty of several others

countries. For the less fortunate, clean water would be much more appreciated than it is for us,

here in the United States. Every drop of clean, freshwater matters to those whom water is not

easily accessible. to.

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At the beginning of my research, I was not aware of just how much has efforts have been

put into improving the quality of life for the under-developed nations. The United States

Government Accountability Office wrote an article in 2010 that addressed what acts and other

efforts were put in place to improve the sanitation and water conflicts in certain parts of the

world. Specific water conflicts include the accessibility, environmental flow and quality of the

water consumed. The regions in particular that I have seen the most research on include: sub-

Saharan Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and some of the Pacific regions. Some

examples of the relief efforts include “installing community water taps, building latrines, and

constructing major water treatment plants” (GAO 1). The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor

Act of 2005 is the reason the United States played was a part in creating a solution for this

problem. The Act allowed two billion people access to safe drinking water and allowed 600

million people access to basic sanitation services. This Act “made access to safe water and

sanitation for developing countries a U.S. foreign assistance policy objective” (GAO 1). This act

also requires the designation of higher priority to countries who are in more need of aid than

other countries. This is to ensure that countries in need can be given more resources to improve

the quality of life quicker. This logic makes sense and is understandable as to why the policy

states this. Between 2008 and 2009, over 300 million dollars were used spent on activities that

were under the specifications of the act. This $300 million included 125 million that went to sub-

Saharan Africa alone. Ethiopia, Ecuador, Haiti, Jordan, Kenya, and Sudan were six6 countries

where United States Government officials traveled to assist in water and sanitation efforts. While

these officials were in these countries, they were interviewed on what they were doing with

government funds to aid the native people in this crisis. The interviews revealed that these

governments didn’t have the budgets needed to improve these conditions throughout the whole
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country. Another resource viewed to gather information on this cause was how much

government funds went to a separate nine places to aid the people affected with water and

sanitation problems.

“Access to clean water and basic sanitation is essential for human health and

socioeconomic development; lack of clean water and basic sanitation increases the prevalence of

disease, malnutrition, and gender disparities” (GAO 4). One of the main reasons I chose to

include quotes from this article is because of the importance of the topic at hand. No human

deserves to drink water out of ponds, streams, or ruts in the ground that have collected the

rainwater. Access to clean water and basic sanitation really is essential for human health.

Without clean water and basic sanitation, diseases spread extremely rapid. and this leads to the

decline of health. As the health and well-being of society is dropping, the life expectancy of that

region will correspondingly drop. Life expectancy is evaluated by government officials

observed, and it gives a general idea of the quality of life for people in that region. If people are

dying off at only 50 or 60 years old, no one is going to want to stay in that country because they

obviously are not as developed as other countries, and they do not have the same technology,

resources, or availability to clean water and basic sanitation as the well-developed countries.

Water and basic sanitation are two of the most important things that a country can provide for its

people. Most of these countriesNigeria, Indonesia, Peru, and several other countries have limited

access to clean water, but the key is to improve the accessibility of clean water. this to improved

amount of access and the accessibility of more clean water. More clean water allows countries to

be healthier, safer, and allows for economic growth with the improved living conditions.

Taking a closer look into sanitation problems, the same GAO study introduces the idea

that not everyone knows how to practice good hygiene. “Direct services delivered by some
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USAID missions in sub-Saharan Africa include school-based activities as part of broad

community water and sanitation programs, emphasizing improvement of sanitation and hygiene

to create a healthy learning environment for children” (GAO 9). To prove that every drop

matters, in this region rainwater basins are used to collect the rainwater and it is then used to

increase the amount of water that households can use for the time being. Betweenuse. Between

2006 and 2009, approximately 45% of people using the USAID’s help with water and sanitation

were in North Africa and in the Middle East. One downfall of the amount of emphasis placed on

the quality of water is that there has been a decreased emphasis on how to manage the water they

have been given accessibility to. This is understandable considering how people who have never

been exposed to an abundance of clean water would not know how to handle it responsibly. For

example, if a young adult has never had any experience handling money or learning the value of

money, he/she will not know how to spend the money wisely as not to waste it on unnecessary

items. The USAID program will then have to teach people in the affected regions how to be

responsible with the amount of water they have been given access to through wells, and gravity

filters to cleanse the impure water.

With the aid of government associations coming in to improve the quality of life, this is

going to be appealing to outside investors to see the country as a place to grow their industry and

provide a safe environment for their employees to live in and build families in to create safe

communities. The most under-developed nations, such as Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh,

Haiti, and Zimbabwe, play a major role in the textile and apparel industry. An article published

by the Los Angeles Times reveals that some of the brand name companies that have moved

overseas include Rexnord Corp, Mondelez International Inc, and Brake Parts Inc. One thing that

was a driving factor for each of these countries to move overseas is the cost. Since the markets in
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these countries are so poor, companies aren’t required to pay their employees as much as they

would be required to pay them in the United States. These industries will provide room for

economic growth for countries who often-times fend for themselves as far as a market economy

comes.is run. “These “base-of-the-pyramid” markets grow out of exclusion.n… Such markets

include the one1 billion people who still practice open defecation, the 2.5 billion people who use

shared or unimproved sanitation facilities, and the 768 million people who use an unimproved

source for drinking water” (World Bank Group xiii). Open defecation is the number one cause of

spreading of diseases in these regions. If any of the one1 billion people practicing open

defecation overlap in any way with the 2.5 billion who use shared or unimproved sanitation

facilities, this can lead to an increase of Polio, Cholera, Giardiasis, and Hepatitis A. leads to an

extremely disgusting environment that cannot be safe for anyone. For the 768 million people

who are using an unimproved facility to get drinking water, this means that the water could be

polluted with rust, dirt, and other pollutants that the water may have come into contact with. The

market s ofcommunity these nations are going to suffer the most when it comes to dealing with

water availability rising and the growing demand for water as well as climate change. Having a

stable economy is really important for these communities so they do not suffer from the effects

of the changing technologies.get left behind while new technologies are being implemented in

their communities.

One of the most amazing facts I came across when researching for this topic stated that

the potential to have a great economy is, in fact, there. Mozambique, Guinea, and Haiti have the

greatest potential and could grow the most with aid from the United States and other first-world

countries. These countries simply do not have the financial resources or the geographical

resources to excel in the areas of water and sanitation. This is where aid from the United States is
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most helpful. “With respect to the countries studied here, about 20 million people are projected

to get their water from rural piped water schemes managed by the private sector by 2025—that is

10 times the current number of customers, a market worth at least $90 million a year” (World

Bank Group xiii). If 20 million people get water pumped to their communities, sanitation will

improve. With this research, only two2 million people in Africa have access to clean drinking

water currently, which is why it is so important to get these numbers higher. Because someone

has taken the time and spent the money to invest in poor nations, the lives of 20 million people

will drastically change. The economy will boost, leading to more money in the hands of the

people. With families having more money, they will continue to invest it into their economy and

the cycle will continue to keep up the economy. A boosting economy is going to increase its

marketability and desirability for potentially successful companies. First-world countries such as

the United States, China, Sweden, Denmark, and other European countries are going to see the

booming economy as a chance to introduce modern forms of sanitation and freshwater resources

to these people, which will only improve the economy. This improved economy means improved

infrastructure.

There are downfalls to these economies taking in aid and products from these superior

countries. The poor are willing to pay for products and the value of them, but they do not want to

pay for inferior quality and service. If they are going to drop a bunch of money on something so

big as a community well for better quality drinking water, they want their money to go to a

product that is going to last a very long time. This logic makes sense, as it should make sense to

anyone in the working-class of the United States. The people of Bangladesh, Tanzania, Peru, and

Indonesia understand the concept that nothing is handed to them and so they have worked hard

for the money that they do have, thus making them wary of what they spend their money on. If
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workers can assure the people of these nations that they are getting better quality water than that

of what they currently have, then the poor are going to be more open to spending the money on

the project. Because cost is a large barrier for most of the people in these countries, sanitation is

not a top priority. For these reasons, first-world countries are going to make it a priority to

introduce flushing toilets and more options of running water. Running water is going to

introduce its own issues, such as teaching people hygiene. People in the affected nations must be

open to learning personal hygiene instead of simply relying on dominant countries to hold their

hand and guide them. Teaching them hygiene will enable them to learn to solve some hygienic

problems on their own. An argument stems from this, saying that the United States should

simply stay out of these types of problems and worry about what problems are going on within

the country first and foremost. While with some issues, such as government issues, it is

important to let a country figure it out within themselves but with sanitation, such countries do

not have the resources to figure it out and handle it by themselves.

Hygiene, as well as running water and better sanitation, is going to drastically improve Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"

the quality of life and decrease the spread of disease. Improving these two conditions alone will

change lives of everyone affected by these ‘new’ technologies. Currently, some communities

have wells that people gather their drinking water from, however, not all communities are this

fortunate. In many countries, such as Ethiopia in particular, women spend their days walking

down dusty roads in the heat for hours to fill up her basket with uncontaminated water.

Oftentimes, the water obtained this way is still impure and can still cause diseases. Women start

this as early as 14, and in most cases, travel more than four or five miles to get water. After

filling up their container with water, it can weigh more than 40 pounds and these ladies still have

to travel back four or more miles to their homes. If wells can be made more accessible to
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everyone, the lives of women in this area will drastically change as well as the lives of her

family.

One other downfall to having aid from outside countries is because of the morals and

traditions of some of the smaller communities. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe

tells the story of a Nigerian-native, Okonkwo and the chronicles of pre-colonial life. Things Fall

Apart reveals the process of European settlers and missionaries coming into Nigeria to colonize

the people, introduce technologies, and modernize their way of life. The Europeans traveled to

Nigeria and other African countries to try and spread the word of God. In most cases the

Europeans were very intolerant of the natives and this is what upset Okonkwo the most. The

Europeans introduced many technologies to the natives and by the end of the novel, Okonkwo

was upset that his tribe had been forced to change their way of life because of these outsiders. I

use this novel as an example to show that not everyone is wanting help, despite the quality of life

they live. The key to reaching out to these people in an effective manner is to have an open heart

to understand where the natives are coming from. Going along with this, it is important to

maintain a positive attitude about the project and to ensure that the efforts being put in to help are

benefitting the individuals affected by it. Water and sanitation are two of the most important

things a human can have access to, but it is still important to respect the beliefs of others. These

less fortunate people are oftentimes the most grateful people when they receive the aid they need.

When people come to the realization that they need help, they are more than open to the idea of

getting it.

In an article published in the Environmental Science and Technology magazine, 60 case

studies were done in countries who needed water solutions in place. The case studies were done

to see what solutions would work in specific geographical areas.

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Water and sanitation issues prove to hinder many nations from becoming successful.

With the help of stronger nations, these suffering nations can begin catching up to the developed

world. The progression of under-developed nations will improve economies worldwide,

technological advancements, and provide more resources available to a growing population.

Helping countries such as Tanzania, Cambodia, Haiti, and many others will not only benefit the

affected countries but will benefit the United States in terms of international relations. It is

important to keep international relations in mind to prevent disputes in the future. With the given

research, it is very possible to some of these countries in need. It will take time, dedication, and

the aid of strong countries to improve the living conditions for these people, but it can be done.
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Works Cited

Gootnick, David. “Millions of Beneficiaries Reported in Developing Countries, but Department

of State Needs to Strengthen Strategic Approach.” United States Government

Accountability Office, May 2010. Accessed 12, Mar. 2019.

https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10957.pdf

Starkl, Markus, et al. “Why Do Water and Sanitation Systems for the Poor Still Fail? Policy

Analysis in Economically Advanced Developing Countries.” Environmental Science &

Technology, vol. 47, no. 12, 1 May 2013. Accessed 12, Mar. 2019

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es3048416

Sy, Jemima, et al. “Tapping the Markets: Opportunities for Domestic Investments in Water and

Sanitation for the Poor”. World Bank Publications, 2014. Accessed 12, Mar. 2019.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/16538/9781464801341.pd Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt

Puzzanghera, Jim. “These Three U.S. Companies Moved Jobs to Mexico. Here's Why.” Los Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 0.5", Line
spacing: Double
Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2016, www.latimes.com/business/la-fi- Formatted: Font: Times New Roman

mexico-jobs-20161212-story.html.