Access to (clean) Water

I chose to read more this week about access to healthy water around the world.  Growing up in Colorado, drought and water rights were hot topics in the news, so I have always known that water is an important and sought after resource.  I cannot say, however, that I don't take for granted my ability to take a hot shower whenever I want.  In fact, I hardly think about it when I turn on the tap to fill my water bottle or wash my hands.  This, however, is a luxury that 783 million people around the world cannot claim 9 (United Nations [UN] Water, 2013).

Here are some of the difficult facts I found about access to water worldwide:

• Children lose 443 million school days a year to water related illnesses like diarrhea (Water.org, 1990-2015).
•  Nearly one in five, or 1.5 million, child deaths each year are caused by diarrhea from unsafe water.  In fact, diarrhea kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and the measles combined (Water.org, 1990-2015).
• Ninety percent of these child deaths from diarrhea are among children five years or younger (Water.org, 1990-2015).
• Perhaps most alarming," estimates indicate that...3.5 planets Earth would be needed to sustain a global population achieving the current lifestyle of average European or North Americans" (UN Water, 2013).

Access to clean water is important globally, but certainly gets a lot of attention in times of emergency.  The UNICEF website highlights that in times of emergency the "restoration of primary health care services, mother-and-child and nutrition services, as well as access to clean water and a hygienic environment are key parts of an integrated early childhood development response" (UNICEF, "Early Childhood Development in Emergencies," 2013).  These important first steps by trained UNICEF care workers can begin to dampen the devastating effects of emergencies in potentially damaging early childhood development.

The area I chose to further investigate access to clean water was Syria, in light of three years of civil war and turmoil and the millions of displaced people.  Already a desert nation with limited access to water resources, the conflict in Syria has significantly deteriorated the Syrian infrastructure's ability to adequately treat and distribute water.  There has been significant damage to pumping station and other infrastructure in areas of high violence, as well as power outages, fuel shortages, and inadequate maintenance on pipes and water works.  Utilities also lack necessary chlorine for water treatment.  In addition, shelters for displaced persons are extremely overburdened, so access to clean water and proper sanitation is lacking.  In Syria, children make up half of the four million people in need of urgent water relief, posing a significant risk of diarrhea among the young population (UNICEF, "Running dry", 2013).

This map shows the severity of the water crisis in war torn Syria.
(UNICEF, "Running Dry", 2013)

I believe this information may impact my future work in two very different ways.  First, I do hope to find myself in a position of international influence in the future where I may advocate for important resources for quickly developing young children.  Working for an organization like UNICEF to empower and enable people globally was once a very prominent dream of mine.  Second, and maybe more likely, I hope to use my influence as a teacher to encourage young minds to think globally and recognize the plentiful resources we have available.  I worked in a preschool room a few months ago where the teacher was constantly reminding her children to "remember the polar bears" as they washed their hands.  The reminder was from a story they had read in class teaching children to be mindful of their water consumption.  While the amount of water physically flowing from the facet while each preschooler washes their hands can't actually benefit either the polar bears or the displaced Syrians, raising up a generation of conscious, generous preschoolers could.  What a dream, right?



Resources
UNICEF. (2013). Early childhood development in emergencies. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_40745.html

UNICEF. (2013). Running dry: water and sanitation crisis threatens Syrian children.  Retrieved from www.unicef.org

United Nations Water. (2013). Water cooperation: facts and figures.  Retrieved from http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/water-cooperation/facts-and-figures/en/

Water.org. (1990-2015). Water facts: children. Retrieved from http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/children/