Source Weekly 2009, 09

Published - 18 Sep 09

International

Public opinion survey: water tops climate change as global priority

A public opinion survey finds that people around the world view water issues as the planet’s top environmental problem, greater than air pollution, depletion of natural resources, loss of habitat and even climate change.

SODIS under fire: studies pour cold water on solar disinfection

The much-lauded method of disinfecting water in plastic bottles using only sunlight might not work as well as previously thought and might even be dangerous, new research suggests. The Swiss Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) Reference Center admits the technique has its weaknesses but that it is safe and should not be discouraged unless an alternate supply of safe drinking water is available.

Climate change: global conference says that water must be included in COP-15 negotiations

The participants of the 2009 World Water Week in Stockholm urged that water must be included in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15) negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009. WaterCube.tv interviewed about 100 people including Stockholm Water Prize Winner Dr Bindishwar Pathak.

Annet Muragijimana, 13-year girl waiting at a borehole in Gasagara, Rwanda

“Sometimes we sit for more than four hours before we get water and when someone powerful and bigger comes, they don’t need to wait".

Ghana: stop violence against girls – build school toilets

Visiting the bushes due to lack of toilets exposes girls to the dangers of sexual and other forms of physical and psychological violence. The Stop Violence Against Girls in School project, implemented by ActionAid in Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya, is concerned about making the school environment safer for girls

Zimbabwe: building user-friendly toilets for the disabled

The Disablement Association of Zimbabwe (DAZ) has started building user-friendly Blair Toilets for people with disabilities. It also plans to improve access to ablution facilities in Bulawayo after a realisation that the authorities were taking too long to act. Insiza and Matobo districts in Matabeleland South have been chosen for the programme which is supported by World Vision.

Yemen: water crisis threatens swelling population

Donor support to the water sector in Yemen may buy some time, but a catastrophe is inevitable, a World Bank expert fears.

India, Punjab: every village to store enough drinking water for 15 days, minister orders

The Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab has ordered that every village in the state should construct tanks with a minimum capacity of 15 days to ensure uninterrupted supply of drinking water.

Nepal: water and sanitation rights a must

Experts appealed to the government to establish water and sanitation as fundamental rights in the new constitution. They want a high-level political statement that water and sanitation are also the government’s priorities.

Sri Lanka, Ampara district: water shortages grip southeast

Water shortages in southeastern Sri Lanka mean hardship for most but are a boon for water sellers.

Honduras: new national water law declares access to water a human right

The plenary of the Honduran congress has approved the nation’s general water law, which declares access to water a human right. The law also establishes the creation of an autonomous national water authority.

Mexico, Mexico City: water scarcity could cause “spiral of violence”, human rights commission warns

Mexico’s federal district (DF) human rights commission CDHDF has warned that the capital’s growing water shortage could cause a “spiral of violence”. Low-income families are paying more for water of lower quality and only receive it at certain hours of the day, a situation that is causing social unrest.

Peru, Apurímac: Ministry launches pilot potable water plan for conflict areas

Peru’s housing, construction and sanitation minister Francis Allison has announced a pilot potable water project in Apurímac region as part of a plan to provide services in areas of conflict. The project seeks to relocate small communities and create new city models.

Matt Damon: Hollywood actor joins WaterPartners to form Water.org

Matt Damon's H2O Africa has merged with WaterPartners to create a new organization, Water.org with headquarters in Kansas City.

Global Water Partnership: new Technical Committee Chair appointed

The Global Water Partnership has appointed Dr. Mohamed Ait Kadi as the new GWP Technical Committee Chair, effective 1 October 2009.

WASH Specialist, L-4, UNICEF, Philippines

UNICEF seeks an WASH specialist who will be responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) components within the country programme.

Apply before Friday 25 September 2009

Senior Adviser WASH (Capacity Building), P-5, Programmes, UNICEF, USA

UNICEF is looking for a senior advisor who will provide overall technical support to the Water, Environment and Sanitation section in activities related to policies and programmes in water, environmental sanitation and hygiene.

Apply before Friday 25 September 2009

Health impact: deaths associated with incomplete water and sanitation provision in African refugee camps

In the period from 2005 to 2007, 1,400 deaths were estimated to be directly attributable to incomplete water and sanitation alone in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

Urban poor: giving poor people a say in the water and sanitation services and proof of residence works

Giving poor people a say in the water and sanitation services they receive, and allowing alternative documentation to prove residence are some of the simple solutions that can bring sustainable water and sanitation services to the hundreds of millions currently living without, according to a new report today released by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP).

Ceramic filters: Ugandan schools get CrystalPur kits

Uganda has been selected as the only country in Africa to pilot a project that provides cheap and pure drinking water to schools and clinics in rural areas. CrystalPur ceramic water filters can produce between four and six litres of clean water per hour. They can treat up to 7,000 litres of water (350 jerrycans) before the filter needs to be replaced.

Funding: Gates Foundation steps up water efforts with grants to improve sanitation and to twin cities in Africa and USA

A project to identify new methods of on-site sanitation in developing countries and another to twin cities in Africa and the United States are two new initiatives that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding.

ACP-EU Water Facility: €200 million call for proposals planned for beginning 2010

The European Commission is setting aside €200 million to help to tackle water and sanitation problems in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. It will launch a call for proposals at the beginning of 2010.

Micro-donations: Africare among first NGOs to develop iPhone App

Africare has launched a new marketing campaign – Pass It On! – to highlight stories of people overcoming major issues like unsafe drinking water. The campaign includes an iPhone application that has a photo gallery, video and a “Click to Donate” button.

Public funding for sanitation : the many faces of sanitation subsidies : a primer

This primer addresses the provision of basic sanitation in both rural and urban contexts and therefore includes a consideration of financing for both on-site sanitation and networked sewerage in urban areas.

Scaling up household water treatment among low-income populations

This report reviews the development and evolution of leading household water treatment technologies (HWTS) in their efforts to achieve scale; to identify the main constraints that they have encountered; and to recommend ways forward.

Climate change and water : international perspectives on mitigation and adaptation

This book offers the latest scientific findings on climate change and its increasingly important impacts on fresh water resources and water quality.

Climbing the water ladder : multiple-use water services for poverty reduction

This book shows how livelihoods act as the main driver for water services and how access to water is determined by sustainable water resources, appropriate technologies and equitable ways of managing communal systems.

WASHIRIKA: toolbox on local governance for improved WASH services delivery

This web site is part of a toolbox with information products and materials compiled by IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and its partners. Most of the materials have been compiled through action research or other collaborative initiatives on strengthening local governance for improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services over the past decade.

USAID Water Finance Website

Resource aimed at development professionals who seek to incorporate sustainable pro-poor financing into Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH) programmes at country level. A set of structured questions and resource materials guides users through the planning process once you have registerd yourself (for free).

Global CityWater Futures Summit: Learning Alliances for Change

Delft, The Netherlands, 7-10 October 2009

Organised by the SWITCH project, the Summit will bring together over 50 science experts from around the world with practitioners from cities in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East as well as donor groups and international organisations to join forces in accelerating change toward a more sustainable water City of the Future.

Global Handwashing Day

International, 15 October 2009

Initiated in 2008 by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, the driving theme for Global Handwashing Day is children and schools.

2nd Africa Water Week

Johannesburg, South Africa, 09-13 November 2009

About 1,000 delegates from the Africa will attend this annual event organised by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) and the South Africa Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, The main theme is "Carrying forward the commitments of Sharm El Sheik on Water and Sanitation: Sprint to the finish".