world water stories

8/9/2019 WORLD WATER STORIES

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WORLD

WATER STORIES GWN

global water network


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Report Edited by Caitlin Werrell

Marianne Schwab

Mackenzie Craig

Designed by Marianne SchwabMarch 2009

www.globalwaternetwork.org


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WATER STORIES REPORT GWN



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global waternetworkThe Global Water Networkis a comprehensive resource to raise awareness aboutwater issues and to raise funds to help build water and sanitation projects where they are

needed most. From helping a rural community get its rst well to providing toilets and

hand-washing facilities for schools, the Global Water Network provides a way for people

to make a dierence. Through the GWN individuals can donate directly to water projects,

access key water articles and reports, link to country-specic water data, read news feeds,discuss water issues in the forum, and access global water happenings in the events

calendar.

The GWN is a project ofEarth Day Network(EDN). EDN is a driving force steeringenvironmental awareness around the world. Through Earth Day Network, activists

connect, interact, and have an impact on their communities, and create positive change

in local, national, and global policies. EDN's international network reaches over 17,000

organizations in 174 countries, while the domestic program engages 5,000 groups andover 25,000 educators coordinating millions of community development and environ-

mental protection activities throughout the year. Earth Day is the only event celebrated

simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.

More than a half billion people participate in our campaigns every year.


Contact:

Earth Day NetworkGlobal Water Network1616 P Street NW, Suite 340Washington, DC 20036USA

Email: [email protected]: +1 202.518.0044 ext: 28


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WATER STORIES REPORT

contents

Foreword

1 Introduction to the Water Stories Caitlin Werrell

Water Stories Report

4 Guatemala Global Water

5 Philippines Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation

6 Armenia Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets

7 Middle East Friends of the Earth Middle East

8 Guatemala Water for People

9 United States Coal River Group

10 Kenya Student Movement for Real Change

11 ThailandSLP Environmental

12 Moldova Moldovan Network for Rural Volunteering Centers for Water

13 United States H2O for Life

14 ChinaInternational Foundation for Chinas Environment

15 Kenya Kawangware Urumwe Youth Group


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Water Stories Report cont.16 United States

Elmwood Village Charter School

17 Philippines Environmental Restoration Program

18 Peru Irene Farrow

19 Canada Safe Drinking Water Foundation

20 Cameroon Gic Papnkol

21 Philippines Digos Water District

22 United States Coal River Group

23 VenezuelaEmbassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

24 Ethiopia

Self-Sustainable Water for Life

25 India Center for Water and Sanitation

26 BelizePeoples National Watershed Project

27 New Zealand Environmental Monitoring and Action Project

28 United States Lake Highlands 4H Club

29 Cameroon Center for Water and Sanitation

30 Nicaragua Clean Water for Nicaragua


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Water Stories Report cont.31 Canada

Safe Drinking Water Foundation

32 Philippines Environmental Restoration Program

33 United States H2O for Life

34 Guatemala Asociacin Guatemalteca Pro-Agua y Sanemamiento

35 Central America Ryan Holzhauer

36 BelizeYaaxche Conservation Trust

37 Bolivia Cristina Quisbert

38 United StatesStephenie Frederick

39 Guatemala

Asociacin de Desarrollo y Saneamiento Ambiental

40 Canada Kim Kitchen

41 United States Jane Holzhauer

42 Bangladesh Farmers Voice

43 Mongolia Troy Sternberg


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his report is a collection of stories about the role of

water and sanitation in the lives of people around the

world. In total the report brings together diverse accounts

representing each region of the world, ranging from the

mountains of Peru to the deserts of Mongolia. Here we have

the stories of organizations, governments, ordinary people,

businesspersons, mothers, fathers, activists, scientists. Theyall bring to the table their own perspectives, informed by

their experiences, their professions, their beliefs, their hopes.

Woven together, these many stories become one account of

the dierent ways humans experience and perceive the

same thing. Countless hours spent in search of clean drink-

ing water, peaceful moments along the banks of a much

loved river, the clamor of a classroom learning the rules ofhand washing, or the pride of promoting a public or private

partnership for managing water resources. The stories

display the vast dierences in access to water and sanitation

around the world, but also demonstrate how important

water and sanitation are to all of us- equally.

FOREWORD

Caitlin

Werrell

Director of International

Programs,

Earth Day Network

WATER STORIES REPORT | GWN | 01


T


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Photos from the BARKA FoundationsAdopt-A-Water-Project in Burkina Faso

http://www.barkafoundation.org/




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Santa Apolonia is a municipality in the Chi-altenango region of Guatemala.Known for their potteryd embroidered shirts called huipils, many of the people of this

ea live in extreme poverty with one of the highest infant

ortality rates in the world. With no good source of water

earby, pupils in the rural schools were accustomed to walking

eat distances daily, simply to nd water.Halfway across the world, in a tiny nation also stricken with

overty, children living in a Romanian orphanage were faced

th a similar problem. There was no safe water source available

r them to use.

Enter Global Water, an international non-prot, non-

ctarian, and all-volunteer humanitarian organization whose

ssion is to bring water to the rural poor. Global Water adheres

a simple philosophy: that the lack of access to safe drinking

ater is the primary cause of hunger, disease and poverty in the

orld today. While this premise may be a simple one, the actions

at Global Water volunteers and their network of non-overnmental organizations (NGOs) in the developing world take

furtherance of this philosophy have a profound worldwide

pact.

Every day on average, tens of thousands of men, women

d children die from diseases directly related to drinking

ntaminated water. Beyond this, malnutrition kills many more

eople malnutrition caused by food shortages which are always

oted in water shortages.

Recognizing these problems, Global Water is committed

to the development of safe water supplies and related sanitatio

programs in rural areas of developing countries. The systems

Global Water routinely builds village-capacity water wells or

spring catchment systems, disinfection treatment, gravity-ow

distribution, and storage systems - do not require electricity, ar

simple to operate, and are made of materials designed to last

for decades. As part of their model, Global Water works with

NGOs who have the passion to make a dierence in their own

country. Global Waters funding helps NGOs to build upon the

expertise and hire sta to perform water projects. In this way,

Global Water helps sustain a network of NGOs around the worl

By working closely with local NGOs, Global Water is able com-

plete the projects in even the most politically charged climates

In Santa Apolonia, the school children smile as they stan

at the new hand washing stations, and the women of the villag

can now perform their cooking and cleaning tasks with ease.

These stations and the new latrines which Global Water built

have brought dignity to the community. In Romania, Global

Water worked with a local well driller to have a well drilled, andthe orphanage now has a clean source of water.

Global Waters successes abound, still, much remains to

be done. Undaunted by the challenges, Global Water voluntee

continue to help communities help themselves, by bringing

them access to safe drinking water, and giving people the

potential for a more productive life.

For further information on Global Waters ongoing projects, please

visit www.globalwater.org.

photos provided by T. A. Kuepper of GlobalWater.Org

Santa ApoloniaGlobal Water



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Sampaloc LakeFriends of the Seven Lakes Foundation

Our passion for the conservation, protection and

rehabilitation of the seven lakes of San Pablo City, Philip-

pines began in 1993 when we moved back to the Philip-

pines from the USA. Every morning, we woke up to the

apparent beauty of the seven lakes outside our windows I

say apparent, though, because we knew it was there, but we

never really saw it.We live right next to the lakeshore of Sampaloc Lake,

which is the biggest of the seven lakes in the heart of San

Pablo City. We have heard stories about its former beauty

and the abundance of fresh seafoods gathered from its

waters in the past. But the vision that assaulted our eyes

everyday was a polluted lake with an overgrowth of waterlil-

ies, a proliferation of oating shcages, illegal structures like

houses and night clubs, and litter all around the lakeshore

with the occasional pungent smell of decaying sh and

algae.This onslaught on the senses pushed the citizenry to

rally behind the Save the Lakes Movement(SLM) in 1997. And

by the year 2000, the SLM evolved into the Friends of the

Seven Lakes Foundation (FSLF), which lobbied for the demoli-

tion of some illegal commercial and residential establish-

ments along the lakeshore of Sampaloc Lake.

While the FSLF elders lobbied with government on

lakes issues and worked with NGOs and corporate sponsors

to engage the citizenry in lake conservation, many small

voices were waiting to be heard. In 2003, the FSLF Kids was

born as a result of the FSLFs aliation with the Roots and

Shoots International of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Starting with 23 young members, ages 6-12, the FSLF

Kids: Roots& Shoots made little waves within their limited

capacity. FSLF Kids: R&S members participate in lake

clean-up, environmental education campaigns, tree-

planting, recycling projects, local and international eco-

camps and other activities.

The children had much energy for volunteerism and

creative passion to match. And by their actions, the

children showed a strong sense of ownership and responsi-

bility for the lakes and water resources, which will serve

them well in the future. The childrens enthusiasm in doing

their voluntary work has even sometimes put the adults

lethargy and apathy to shame.

Through the FSLF Kids: R&S , the children found

wonderful opportunities to build a network of young

environmentalists. Seeing problems from their limited but

fresh perspective, the children wrote letters to government

ocials, joined their elders at rallies and did actual lake

clean-up, tree-planting at the watershed, and shared their

thoughts at conferences and workshops. The FSLF Kids:

R&S initiated eco-camps, now in its 5th year, which has

brought together students from private and public schools.

They also joined in the United Nations Environmental

Programmes activities, which brought together children

from all over the world in several international conferences

on the environment. They made friends from all over the

world, inspiring others with their youthful enthusiasm for

environmental issues and being inspired in turn by similar

eorts of children from dierent parts of the globe.

Like Spiderman, our FSLF Kids believe: With great

power comes great responsibility.

Indeed, a clean and healthy living lakes is a big

vision in the hands of the young.



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The garbage accumulated on the banks of

Gyumri River became a serious ecological and

epidemic problem for the city, but was nevertheless

ignored by both the community heads and common

citizens.

By the initiative of Gyumri Eco-club, meetings were

held with the local municipality and a private company to

actualize garbage collection. As a result, the municipality

provided a garbage truck and the company included the

given neighborhood in its service line. The fact that the

initiative belonged in its entirety to a group of enthusiastic

teenagers, inexible in their decision to reach their goal, was

an essential condition for success.

The garbage was being removed from the river by the

garbage truck while the SunChild Eco-club children together

with some citizens were cleaning the surroundings. In order

to prevent a repeat this problem and deny cause for the

people of Gyumri to throw the garbage into the river,

SunChildren put garbage bins near the river with warning

messages such as: Save the Nature or Dont throw the

garbage into the river.

Organizing trash collection and clean-up at the Vedi

riverbank was the unanimous decision of Urtsadzor

SunChild Eco-club children. From Urtsadzor up to the

Khosrov reserve, banks of the river Vedi are a very attractive

rest place for many people. Unfortunately, the picnics

organized by many have managed to create extremely

unattractive scenes of piles of garbage strewn about.

Organized work of one day resulted in a clean

riverbank in all of the area adjacent to Khosrov reserve.

Warning signs were put all along the bank and the children

are persistent in their actions to keep the territory clean.

What we do is only a tiny drop in what we are

going to do. It's dicult, especially at the beginning, but

there are a lot of us. I mean not only our Eco-clubnetwork, but the whole world. SunChildren like us are

everywhere, and together we can do more and more to

make our planet a better place to live, this conviction,

voiced by one of the Sunchildren is rooted in each and

every one of the youngsters attending SunChild Eco-clubs.

To raise the public awareness for the preservation of Armenias unique

natural heritage, the FPWC provides environmental education, organizes

environmental festivals and campaigns, as well as other projects such as the

production of documentaries about nature. FPWC established SunChild

Eco-clubs throughout Armenia to allow the next generation to be aware of

environmental issues and help nd ways of solving them.


Gyumri RiverFoundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets


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Friends of the Earth Middle East established the "Good Water Neighbors" community project in 2001 to raise

awareness of the shared water problems of Palestinians, Jordanians and Israelis. Based on sets of cross border part-

nering communities, the project utilizes their mutual dependence on a shared water resource, creating avenues of

dialogue and cooperation on sustainable water management. Today, the project includes 21 communities throughout

he region. Youth, adults and municipalities all take part in ongoing activities.

The Jordan Valley Regional Council is a participating community of the project. It consists of numerous rural

communities on both sides of the Jordan River between the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee and south for approxi-

mately 10 kilometers. Large projects in this community, whose environmental impacts were not fully considered at the

ime, include the building of a large dam at the mouth of the Sea of Galilee, preventing any water from leaving it, and the

srael National Water Carrier that transports water for irrigation purposes to the southern region of Israel. These projects

have all lead to the diversion of waters from the Jordan River. Coupled with this large scale diversion, at a site 3 kilome-

ers south of the Sea of Galilee is a small earthen dam called the "Alumot Dam", raw sewage, agricultural runo and

diverted saline springs are dumped into the Lower Jordan River. The once thriving Jordan River has shamefully been

brought to little more than an open sewage canal today.

FoEME's "Good Water Neighbors" project has exposed this environmental catastrophe to the residents of the

ordan Valley Regional Council. Countless groups of youth "Water Trustees" and hundreds of adults participating in the

Neighbors Path" tours have visited the Alumot Dam site, sparking an enormous public outcry. Residents know that it is

heir municipality's responsibility to take care of its sewage problems - they were aghast at what they saw in their "own

back yard". A petition protesting this horrendous situation was recently circulated, gathering hundreds of signatures. It

was then presented to the mayor of the Regional Council.

Community pressure has worked! A bid is now under way for a Waste Water Treatment Plant to treat the sewage of

he community and end the dumping into the Lower Jordan River!!

ordan Riveriends of the Earth Middle East



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Water for Peoplechool Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Plus Community Impact

Each day the pictured boys haul a 30-pound water jug up the

dirt road to their schoolhouse in the village of Lagunitas,

Guatemalas.Given the chronic malnutrition in Guatemala67% of

indigenous children, including many of the children of Lagunitas, are

underfedsuch labor seems a waste of precious calories. But without

it, the schoolchildren will have no water to drink, to wash their hands,

or to ush the latrine. Even then, they run a high risk of contracting

life-threatening illnesses, such as typhoid, hepatitis, and rotavirus, from

unsafe drinking water and squalid sanitary facilities.

Water For People is working to ease the burden of hundreds of

young students in rural Quich by leading an eort known as SWASH+,

or School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Plus Community Impact in

Central America. All told, SWASH+ will reach 26 municipalities, 123

schools, and 11,969 pupils.

The goal is to improve water supplies, latrines, and hand washing

facilities, and to provide hygiene education classes within schools and

in the broader community surrounding the schools. Why the focus on

schools? If students get sick from a water-related illness, theyll bring it

home, spreading it to their siblings or parents. Theyll miss work or

schoolor worse. According to the World Health Organization, more

than 23% of deaths in Guatemala are attributable to intestinal infec-

tious diseases, many of them waterborne. And thus the cycle of poverty

and disease continues.

It is hoped that SWASH+ will help break the cycle and do so

cost-eectively. In Lagunitas, where 85% of the residents live in pov-

erty, SWASH+ will reach 60 students and their families in one fell

swoop. Hygiene taught at school will lead to broader changes at the

household level as students bring home good hygiene habits. Parents

involved with the schools may also become stronger agents of change

within the community, and teachers at schools with water and sanita-

tion facilities will become agents of change within the school and at

home. There are other reasons to target schools, too. Evidence suggests

that education, and the education of girls in particular, has signicant

health and economic benets at the household and community levels.

Schools with safe water and adequate sanitation can entice children-

especially girlsto attend. But Elias and his classmates cannot bear the

burden by themselves. Its important to get everyone involved, including

the community, the municipalities, and the departmental governments,

says Edgar Fajardo, country coordinator for Water For People-

Guatemala. The idea is not to replace the government but to strengthen

local capacity. We want to invite the Education Ministry and the Health

Ministry into the process. When they become involved, they learn what is

needed.By working together, ocials and community members canensure that good hygiene practices are replicated from school to

school and throughout the community.

Pictures and excerpt from story

by Kevin Ferguson

Everyone must play a

role. What were askingfor here is nothing lessthan basic human rightsKids shouldnt have tocarry water like that justso they can go to school.

-Edgar Fajard



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Its o to Copenhagen, Denmark for two Sher-

man High School students next year.Nadia and Nevada

Banks Miller, twin sisters from Seth, WV, (Boone County) have

been asked to attend a science competition in Copenhagen,

Denmark in 2009.

The sisters rst became interested in clean water

supplies in the 7th grade at Sherman Junior High School.

Mrs. Drema Stollings, their science class teacher, used funding

provided by the Coal River Group to create a class on water

monitoring. The students tested water samples from the Big

Coal River behind the school. According to the sisters, This

water testing encouraged us to further investigate our water

supply in Boone County.

The water monitoring classes were a brainchild of the

Coal River Group. We wanted to do something to encourage

students to learn about water quality in the Coal River, says

Bill Currey, President of the Group. We received money from

the WV DEPs Stream Partners Program for a variety of

programs but we felt strongly that funding a school-based

program would be one of the most valuable things we could

do with the money, added Currey. Now look at the results!

he adds.

The sisters eorts started in the 7th grade. In the 9th grade

they put together a science project called How Safe is our 21st

Century Water Supply. The original project collected 26 water

samples from rivers, creeks, wells, mountain streams, and tap

water throughout Boone County. The project won the Sherman

High School Science Fair and won First Place in the Boone

County Science Fair. The project was entered in the Central and

Southern West Virginia Regional Science and Engineering Fair in

March 2008 and again took rst place in that competition.

The project was further rened by the girls expansion of

testing to other streams in other counties. The girls tested

streams in Kanawha, Logan, Raleigh, Lincoln, and Wyoming

counties. The results were scientically compared and the results

reported as part of their expanded Science Project.

On May 11th 2008 the girls traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to

compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

as representatives of West Virginia. The project nished as a

nalist and the girls were encouraged by the judges to continue

to rene the study. They were invited to attend a Science Com-

petition in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009.

The Miller sisters stated in their report that, Our journey

began at Sherman Junior High School, testing the water behind

our school in our science class. Together, we can make a

dierence.

Big Coal River, West VirginiaCoal River Group



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Student Movement for Real Change

A seven year prolonged drought intensies and the people of Kayafungo are suering. Kayafungo is

he poorest location in third poorest District in all of Kenya. Women usually walk up to 3 kilometers to fetch

ater from brown dams teeming with parasites. Now, during the dry season, a woman walks 6 kilometers toollect just one 20-liter bucket of water that she carries home on her head.

As of February this year, three people have already died of starvation. USAID trucked in relief food but the

mount is far from sucient to assuage their hunger. The dropout rate in primary school is higher than ever

efore because pupils stay home in search of food and water instead of attending class.

The Student Movement for Real Change (SMRC) is committed to addressing this dangerous water situation.

riginally, we planned to build a water pipeline but due to technical constraints we are pursuing other solutions,

cluding roof rainwater catchment systems and dam construction.

To retain rainy season downpours, we rehabilitated the roof rainwater catchment system at the health

inic and also installed roof gutters and two 5,000 liter tanks at Gogoraruhe Primary School, a school built by

MRC in December 2008. However, this solution in institutions ignores the daily lack of water faced by all familiest home.

In November 2008, we collected proposals from community groups ranging from micro-enterprise in

hicken rearing, to agriculture improvement, to classroom construction. Four proposals outlined dam expansion

rojects as a way to alleviate the growing water crisis.

The Technical Area Coordinator from the Coast Water Services Board (CWSB) visited the project site to

etermine the feasibility of our water collection scheme and to give a proposed budget. He quoted a price of

1,000 for professional survey and at least $60,000 to hire bulldozers for the digging.

With only $3,300 raised tediously by an SMRC volunteer Ted Couch and a desire for the money to go

rectly to the community and not in the pockets of CWSB, where most funds observably end up, we decided to

re the community to dig. Working with local people who have experience with dam construction technicalities,e arranged a three-day a week working schedule that lasted over a month.

To reinforce my commitment and to inspire others to work also, last week I spent the night in Kayafungo

ith a family and woke up early to dig with the people. I arrived in the morning and two hundred people were

ready hauling dirt.

Each person, or group of people if they decided to work together, were given a 1.5m x 2m plot to clear for

bout US$2. With pick axes, hoes and shovels we broke away at the hardened ground. Loaded 20-liter bucks,

reviously used for water before all the dams went dry, were manually transported up the embankment. Men

nd women, balancing the buckets on their head and shoulders, navigated the pathways and climbed the hill of

he dam wall where they dumped the bucket contents and returned for another load. For hours we worked in the

ot sun.Never before have I seen so many babies at a construction site. A woman does all of the digging, loading

nd carrying with a child strapped to her back. Once she clears a space large enough, she will put down a piece

f fabric and let her child play with rocks while she works.

On payday people crowded around the project chairmans table to present their government ID and stamp

heir thumbprint near their name (most are illiterate and cannot make a signature) to prove they received

ayment. The new inux of money means business spreads. Near the dam site, those not digging were cooking

meals and selling vegetables.

Nearing the end of construction, we suered from the lack of resources but generous SMRC donors

edged to complete our endeavor. Even when our funding was completely dry, the community continued to

ork on a voluntary basis. Multiple days a week, in the scorching sun, hauling 40lb buckets of dirt, they labored.Now we wait for rain.

Altogether SMRC has raised about $40,000 for projects and interventions in Kayafungo.For details on SMRCs other projects visit http://smrc.wordpress.com

By Lily Muldoon, Project Director SMRCStory also available at http://www.policyinnovations.org



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Chao Phraya River, Bangkok

SLP Environmental, Green Networking Days

On Friday October 17th 2008, SLP Environmen-tal sponsored a World Water Monitoring Day event inBangkok with the objective of promoting publicawareness and involvement in protecting waterresources around the world.On World Water MonitoringDay organizations and individuals of all ages monitor thecondition of their local rivers, streams, estuaries and otherwater bodies.

Liz Pearmain, an Environmental Consultant andDirector at SLP Environmental based in South East Asia,co-organised and sponsored the event with Green Network-ing Days, a networking group who meet on a monthly basiswith the aim of bringing together individuals and businesses

interested in issues related to the environment.The water monitoring event was held aboard the

Prem Centre Magic Eyes Barge, an educational classroomand oating laboratory housed upon a converted rice barge.Thirty members of Green Networking Days, with assistancefrom experienced water monitoring volunteers from bothSLP Environmental and the Prem Centre Magic Eyes Bargeperformed water monitoring tests on water samples fordissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity (clarity) and temperature.The water monitoring was undertaken at two locationsalong the Chao Phraya River. The rst sampling location wasupstream in the centre of the river near the Rama VIII Bridge

and the second was downstream at Wat Dao Khanong Pier,Thonburi where Dao Khanong Klong (Canal) joins the ChaoPhraya River.

The results indicated a slight deterioration in waterquality between the two monitoring locations and this isconsidered to reect the fact that Klong Dao Khanong

discharges waters with a higher organic and suspended solidsloading into the Chao Phraya River at this location.

Speakers at the event also gave participants an over-view of the signicance of the Chao Phraya River and itswatersheds to Thailand and explored the environmental issuesassociated with the degradation of water quality in the river asa result of anthropogenic activities. In addition, participantsdiscussed the benets of adopting a more environmentallyfriendly and ecologically sustainable way of life.

The Chao Phraya River Basin covers approximately 35%of Thailands land mass, rises in the mountains of Doi InthanonNational Park in north west Thailand near Chiang Mai and runsfor 1,085 kilometers before entering the Gulf of Thailand inSamut Prakarn Province. The Chao Phraya watershed containsseveral large river watersheds, including the Ping, Wang, Yom,and Nan Rivers and it also includes many smaller river water-sheds including the Tha Chin, Pasak and Lopburi Rivers.

Much of Thai history can be traced along the banks ofthe Chao Phraya River and today the Chao Phraya Riverremains the most important waterway for the people of centraThailand as a source of water for domestic use, agriculture,industry, transport, religious festivals and leisure. Feedbackfrom the day was extremely positive and all agreed that it iscritical that a holistic management plan for the Chao PhrayaRiver and its Basin is formulated and implemented in order that

future generations of Thais can continue to enjoy theenormous benets this vital watercourse bestows upon theCountry.



20/52

The drinking water crisis is an especially severe

resent day problem for rural localities, which represent

ore than a half of the Republic of Moldova 's population.

nly 17 of them have aqueducts, 67% of which are in a miserable

tuation and don't t the hygiene standard. The populations in

e rest of the rural localities make their water supply from wells

nd springs, the majority of which are polluted with pathological

acteria. To help solve these severe problems, the Moldovan

etwork of Rural Volunteering Centers for Water was created in

003.

The majority of the citizens of the village of Vorniceni

onsume drinking water from public wells, over half of which

on't correspond to hygiene requirements. These public wells, as

ell as the entire water system, are not authorized or certied as

eing sanitary.

VorniceniMoldovan Network of Rural Volunteering Centers for Water

For decades the water system has not undergone any

sanitary measures- cleaning, ushing, or repairs. Without respec

ing any technical and sanitary requirements, without the mayor

permission, the citizens are connecting to the water system. Th

system schematics have not been updated in 10 years.

Although there is widespread contamination of the

Hepatitis A virus, the water in the water mains is not always

chlorinated. In addition to this, the respective operations are

chaotically organized without including medical professionals.

The Centers will work to spread information about water

quality, to help prevent the spread of disease and raise popula-

tion sanitary culture. More than this, poor people will have

chance to participate to center's activities and some jobs will be

created. Only after supplying in centralist way and creating a

water network, will the situation in the village change.

The water supply projects will give chance to youth to

built houses, will create new jobs, and a better informational

network. Rest Centers will be opened which will contribute toameliorate health situation.

Until recently no one informed the rural population abo

water quality and pumps were created chaoticly in the elds. Th

local administration didn't liquidate the garbage that was near

the water sources. Population didn't know elementary informa-

tion about the negative impact that can bring the polluted wate

which they used in alimentation. The situation now is dierent.

Story and Phots by Petru Botna



21/52

Teachers and students, led by Mr. S.K Du, had

a fantastic time learning about the water crisis, and

then taking action to make a dierence. His 3rd grade

art students participated in the newly created UBUNTU

art and service curriculum.The kids hosted a Water Wings carnival where

they exhibited their African art works from Songye

masks to Kente cloths, as well as performing a poem in

Swahili. In addition, the music teacher and Mr. Du

were shaved and sheered as part of the fundraising,

coupled with an Isnt It Just Ducky auction where kids

reconstructed rubber ducks into artworks. All of this

was along with a water themed carnival bringing the

global water crisis to the forefront of the community.

There were many service learning anglesplus theevent was just plain fun. One could do everything from

throwing darts at balloons lled with water colors over

mural paper to having a photo taken with a mermaid

Hoboken Charter School, located in Hoboken,

New Jersey, raised $2,640 to fund rainwater catchment,

latrines and hand-washing stations for Chelelach

Primary school in Kenya. Mr. Du said, I am so proud of

our third graders, their regular classroom teachers, Ms.

Shain and Ms. Nuygen and our entire school, and am

truly grateful to the hard work and eorts of H2O forLife.

H2O for Life, a National 501c3 non-prot

provides global partners for schools in the United

States and schools in developing countries that are

in need of water, sanitation and hygiene education.

The organization began at Highview Middle School

three years ago and spread nationwide last year.

During the past three years, Highview has raised over

$30,000 to support schools in Kathungu Village in

Kenya, Entonet School in Kenya, and this year is fund-

ing Kilfo School in Ethiopia.

Students study the issues surrounding water,

and plan activities to raise funds. They have hosted

coin drives, bucket walks for water, dodgeball tourna-

ments and a teacher auction. Every Thursday is H2O

day, and teachers and students wear H2O shirts!

Highview takes pride in the fact that H2O for Life

started at our school.

H2O For Life



22/52

Water quality and scarcity have been among the most important environmental concerns in China. Founded in

1996, the International Foundation for Chinas Environment is an international environmental non-prot organization based in

Washington D.C. US, with ve branches in major cities of China. Since then, the IFCE has made several impressive stories inChinas water protection movement, together with other organizations or by itself.

In Wuhan city, the IFCEs Wuhan oce launched several educational campaigns in protecting Chinas mother river-the

Yangtze River, which ows through eleven provinces of China. The campaigns presented Yangtze Rivers importance toChinese everyday life in several fresh ways and have seeded citizens consciousness in protecting the mother river. Actions

include creating radio broadcast, citizen signature events, college student cartoon competition for green life, encouraging

biking for energy saving, and a contest for green investment concepts.

In 2003, the IFCE also helped and joined Chinese environmental organizations network in lobbying the Chinese govern-

ment to stop the controversial dam proposal about the Nu River. Although the dam might relieve the energy shortage prob-

lem in China, it will also damage the ecosystem and the minor ethic communities and raise trans-boundary environmental

issues among China, Burma and Thailand. In response to NGOs petition against dams and public pressure, Premier Wen Jiabio

announced the suspension of all projects on the Nu River pending further proper environmental review in 2004. It was aremarkable victory in Chinas environmental movement the civil societys voice has been heard and taken into consideration

by the central government. However, the local government and interest groups are still trying to bring the construction back.

The IFCE is closely tracking the development and will take more actions when necessary.

IFCE has been a bridge between Chinese NGOs and outsiders for more than a decade.

In last ve years, IFCE provided training to more than 350 Chinese student leaders. They are now leading Chinas youth

environmental movement, tackling issues on watershed restoration, wetland preservation, green building, recycling, climate

changeetc. In 2006, IFCE recommended Mr. Yu Xiaogang, the director of Green Watershed of Yunnan, won the prestigious

Goldman Environmental Prize. In 1999, the IFCE launched a bi-annual NGO forum to address international cooperation inChinas environmental issues. During the forum, the IFCE provided capacity training to more than 300 Chinese NGOs. This

forum also attracted more than 100 international NGOs participants.

At present, the IFCE worked with China Youth Climate Action Network, a group also brought up by IFCE, disseminating

Weekly Climate Change News in China. Through the newsletter, the most updated news including water stories are collected

and translated into English by Chinas college students, then spreading to people all over the world.

There is still a long way to go to solve Chinas water problem, which means there are more water stories waiting forbeing created. If you like the IFCEs actions in raising publics environmental awareness and encouraging civil participation

through education please join them (www.ifce.org) and write more water stories together.

International Foundationfor Chinas Environment



23/52

I live in Kawangware, on the out skirts of Nairobi, Kenya. My area has an

estimated 200,000 people. Currently the area has a water shortage due to the high

population and the lack of an upgraded water system. The city council tap only runs

once or twice per month.

My group is trying to ll this gap. The group has a water point with a 24,000 liter

water tank. The point serves 10,000 people of Magithundia village. The project

creates income which helps in running the organization and creates employment for

youth members. The community is also able to access clean and aordable water.

We rell the tank using water tankers. The main challenge is getting a reliable

water source, despite the Nairobi River passing through my location. Future plans

include drilling a community borehole and buying a community water tank which

will service schools establishing more water points for free.

Story by John Kariuki,

Secretary of Kawangware Urumwe Youth Group

airobiawangware Urumwe Youth Group



24/52

As a teacher of cultural dance at the Elmwood

llage Charter School located in Bualo NY it was a

atural progression to add a conservation compo-

ent at our yearly dance, theater, and music program.

ur school places great emphasis on community

volvement and partnerships, and through our

ltural dance and music programs oureorts are

cused on extending our partnerships globally, thus

aking the students aware of their roles as global

izens.

Last year, our Welcome to the Village presentation

cused on rain forest conservation awareness; this year

ur program is entitled Waters Around the World. Eachass -- grades K through 6 (7 grades and 175 students

tal) wrote a brief script through inquiry-based brain-

orming about some aspect of water awareness issues

ound the world, and each of these plays is followed

y a dance celebration.

The scripts include everything from rap songs

about the water cycle, to mermaids saving the seas

from overshing, to educating tourists about why the

should take care during recreational water sports so

they do not hurt the coral. What a wonderful way to

teach children about how they can protect our natura

resources: have them act out a part in which they lear

about the water cycle and conservation issues.

Our students will perform their presentations at

an historic church that was saved from the wrecking

ball by local artist Ani Di Franco and turned into a

performance venue. Another great example to the

kids about the importance of reuse and historical

conservation.

Natural resources do lie in the hands of the

children in the world as they will become the next

stewards of our global resources.

This program was made possible in part through funding fro

the New York Stae Council on the Arts Arts in Education

program via a partnership of Folkloric Productions Dance Co

Inc and the Elmwood Village Charter School.

by Cathy Skora Cultural Dance Instructor

Elmwood Village Charter School

Bualo, New YorkElmwood Village Charter School



25/52

Palawan Conservation CorpsEnvironmental Restoration Program

In a bid to help Tagabenit and Cabayugan restore parts of their environment that

have suered from both man-made and natural calamities, the Palawan Conservation

Corps (PCC) went in the two barangays to share the technology of environmental restora-

tion with their residents.

Environmental restoration was done by the PCC in Tagabenit on November 5-7 and

Cabayugan on November 12-14 following a Basic Ecology and Bio-Engineering Workshop

that was facilitated for several participants. This was aimed at making the participants

understand the condition of the barangays ecology, the ecosystems, issues covering them,

and how they can help to protect them.

The workshop also touched on the study of subject matters that aect the environ-

ment and crucial watersheds. According to the PCC, one of the reasons why there is soil

eroding to the watersheds is the destruction of trees in forests.

When eroded soils mix with water because there are no more trees to hold them, its

safety becomes compromised, which can greatly aect the health of many people.

From the workshop, the participants were shown photos of several areas in the

country where erosions happened and were many were aected, such as Real, Quezon;

Leyte and others.

Erwin Peter Galido, the executive director of the PCC, taught the participants tech-

niques that are simple but meaningful. He said materials that are needed can be found in

the surrounding, like sacks made of coconut fronds, bayog bamboo, fallen trees and rocks.

For two days, the participants took part in the actual restoration of a river in

Tagabenit that can be found adjacent Ugong Rock, where a big part of the soil was largely

eroded due to incessant rain.

The group then went to Cabayugan to a river that goes inside the subterranean cave,

where four stations or eroded sections where rehabilitated. These stations will serve as

strainers of mud to avoid sending them further to the river.

Galido said the restoration of the river shall help prevent the destruction of the world

famous underground river. In Tagabenit, if the river bank was not rehabilitated, he said, it

could have destroyed rice farms near Ugong Rock.

Those who participated were representatives from the two barangays, Protected

Area Management Board (PAMB), City Government of Puerto Princesa, Peoples Organiza-

tion of Tagabenit and Cabayugan (PO), Out of School Youth of PCC-Batch 11, local commu-

nities, and students. The project was part of a grant from the Toyota Environmental Grants

Program of Toyota Motors Corporation.

by Edong Magpayo



26/52

There's a saying Peruvians have about Tumbes,

eru's northernmost coastal city: "If you drink our coconut

ater, eat our mangos and black mussels, and bathe in the

umbes River, you will stay here forever." This statement

ptures the bewitching nature of Tumbes, with its man-

oves, dry and semi-tropical forests, pristine beaches, and

cclaimed gastronomy. Sadly, it does not mention the

creasingly dangerous contamination of its namesake, theumbes River.

The river nds its crystalline origins in the high

titude cloud forests of Ecuador's Loja province. The river,

ere known as the Puyango, begins its descent down the

ndes Mountains and into increasingly drier equatorial

rest until it reaches the Amotape Hills National Park of

eru. It continues its journey into the Tumbes ood basin

nd out to the Pacic. Along the way, the river is polluted by

cuadorian and Peruvian mines, forest clear-cutting, non-

ganic agriculture, and low-income communities that lack

asic sanitation.The Tumbes River is rich in endemic animal and plant

pecies, including over 20 rare bird species, the playful

ortheast Nutria, Peru's only wild crocodile population, and

veral freshwater sh and shrimp. It runs through the

NESCO-recognized Northwest Biosphere Reserve, an

co-region with one fo the worlds highest levels of ende-

ism. The Tumbes-Puyango River also serves as the only

ater source for dozens of communities in Ecuador and

eru. Families use the river's waters for drinking (oftentimes

ithout any purication), washing, irrigation, and shing. It

truly vital to the human and environmental survival of thentire region.

The Tumbes RiverIrene Farrow

For all its necessity to industry, business, and human

survival, the Tumbes River suers from increasing levels of

contamination. Gold mines in Ecuador have released

mercury and other toxic metals into the river for decades.

These metals have built up in the agricultural soil of river-

side orchards and elds, which grow bananas, cacao,

mangos, and other products, some of which are certied a

organic for export. Agricultural fertilizers like urea and

ammonium sulfate, as well as pesticides, are used on thes

crops, and then leached back into the Tumbes River.Precious topsoil sediments run into the river due to clear-

cutting of forests in Ecuador and Peru, despite internation

ally nanced eorts to decrease this illegal activity in

protected natural areas and their buer zones. Communi

ties too are guilty of pollution, releasing trash, human

sewage, and livestock waste into the waters of the Tumbe

River, the very lifeblood of these peoples.

It is appropriate to say that though governments an

businesses play an integral role in recovering the Tumbes

River, it is the riverside communities, many of which live at

the poverty level, who must be the true guardians of thisprecious resource, as they are the most greatly aected by

its health. Thus, in order to learn more about their river's

ecological health, students in the Tumbes riverside comm

nity of Rica Playa have been utilizing the water quality tes

kits provided by the World Water Monitoring Day program

They have learned actively by using the straightforward

test, and can better identify factors that determine their

river's water quality, and how that in turn is connected to

their own human behaviors and health. Though it will take

several decades of international work by civil society,

government, and business, today's youth in Rica Playa wil

continue to seek the solution to their beloved river's healt

so that one day the river really does bewitch its bathers.



27/52

Tony Steinhauer has been the Water Keeper at

Saddle Lake Cree Nation for over 15 years. The people at

Saddle Lake have struggled with illnesses with increasing

frequency over the last two decades, coinciding with the extreme

deterioration of the lake where they obtain their drinking water.

The eects of industry have taken their toll on the once vibrant

and healthy lake. Tony has watched his people ght fatal illnesses

(and many more not so fatal), skin rashes, infant deaths, still births,

cancers of the stomach and the bowel, and far too many young

residents on kidney dialysis.

When Tony rst began to suspect the water was the cause

of his communitys poor health he consulted even more with

Elders and Community Leaders. One Elder, Howard Cardinal,

immediately supported Tonys theory. From the beginning Howard

took it upon himself to learn as much as he possibly could about

water quality. He and Tony became a force to be reckoned with as

they amassed an enormous amount of knowledge.

Howard presented at every opportunity to spread word of

their concern and mistrust of their drinking water supply and met

Dr. Hans Peterson of the Safe Drinking Water Foundation at one

such conference. Howard learned of the work being done at Yellow

Quill First Nation in Northern Saskatchewan by Dr. Peterson.

The Elders and Councilors began to believe that there was a

connection between the poor water quality and illnesses. Howard

played a signicant role in the process of the Saddle Lake Chief and

council building a laboratory to research water quality, Howard and

Tony were receiving many requests to present at dierent confer-

ences, and usually did so together.

In 2004 Saddle Lake called their own Boil Water Advisory,

usually called by Health Canada (HC). It was challenged by HC and

over the years many scientic reports were written and analyses

were conducted in support of the Saddle Lake decision.

Howard became increasingly determined to challenge the

status quo on the right of his people to have truly safe drinking

water. In 2007, Howard was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer

rare but also aecting others in the community! As his health

deteriorated Howard still insisted on travelling to present to the

Ontario Chiefs in late October 2008, with Tony at his side the pair

shared their knowledge and their experiences openly. The audience

greatly appreciated all they had to say.

In early November they were both invited to present in

Yellowknife, NWT and Howard was so excited and looking forward to

one more presentation. It wasnt meant to be as, back in the hospital

Howard was ghting a losing battle. Tony visited him when he

returned, Another standing ovationhe told him, but boy do they have

problems, babies needing dialysis when they are born, or diabetic when they are

born, skin rashes like you have never seen, and cancers, so many cancers .

Howard repliedWell what are you doing sitting here? Youve got work to do!

Saddle Lake Cree Nation , Alberta

Safe Drinking Water Foundation



28/52

Obala Yaounde

People all over the world what I have to say today is

about our water quality. When I saw on the TV set or heard

on the radio about clean water projects and water pumps

projects, I realized that my village is a world away from all of

these changes.

It is not ction. It is not a speech I am making. If you

have a little time to come and see, come and visit and you

will be able to experience it. My village is a very famous one

made up of many people; men, women, babies, and children.

The people of my village are very hard workers but are

disappointed with political authorities who come and make

promises of building pumps and cleaning our water but so

far have not delivered on these promises.

Our water is red like blood, with many worms and

nsects inside but we are drinking because we do not have

any choice. Our water is dirty, so dirty that it gives everyone

diseases. Come and see please. I do not need your money. I

need a water pump built by yourself and by your men. Do

not send us money please. Come here and build a water

pump for us or you can send peoples of you here in NKOL-

MENDOUGA. Look at my peoples, no water, no life, what can

we do? WHO DO WE GO TO? PLEASE, we dont want to die.

Thanks

By Gic Papnkol

WATER STORIES REPORT | GW N | 20

Photos by Dominique Rog

UNESCO


29/52

Digos City, Island of Mindanao

Digos Water District

Being a water utility, Digos Water District has primarily a

social responsibility of taking care of water.This responsibility

includes promoting water conservation and protection. DWD banks

greatly on the youth, which has the bigger slice in the city population

pie and the youth being dynamic and more responsive in environ-

mental concerns.

In 2006, the rst water summit was held which gathered youth

leaders from dierent schools and youth organizations in the City of

Digos. Dierent water issues were discussed and simple solutions

were tackled. In 2007, another water summit was held drawing

together more youth leaders than the previous year. Stream water

monitoring through ocular observations of the physical status of the

Digos River was done. The youth enjoyed the activity as much as they

learn more of its importance and care.

In 2008, an environmental leadership seminar-workshop was

initiated. Dierent stewardship activities were done to draw out the

leadership in each participant. One of the highlight activities was theStream Water Quality Monitoring at Digos River. For the rst time, we

had the status of the river in terms of its pH, temperature, turbidity

and dissolved oxygen checked. Thanks to the Earth Day Network who

informed us of free water test kits. We found out that results were all

within normal limits. But that does not mean, the monitoring will end

there because of the good results. It was maybe good because we

conducted it near the DWDs watershed project site (upstream), thus,

a considerably healthy river.

This March, we will be launching the monthly Stream Water

Quality Monitoring and we will include downstream portions of the

Digos River. The Junior Ecologist Movement and the KAANAK-Digos,

two of the most active environmental youth organizations in the city

are more than willing to volunteer to such endeavor. We hope to

publish these results in order to raise awareness of our waters health

and promote protection of our most precious resource.

by Aileen Renoblas-Banogbanog



30/52

Coal Rivers, West VirginiaCoal River Group

The Coal Rivers have a wonderfully colorful history. They have been

mistreated by man yet their story is a testament to the survival and restorative

owers of both the rivers and the hardy residents of the southern West Virginia

egion. The rivers have served man as industrial highways for moving timber, coal

nd mercantile goods. The three rivers in the Watershed include the Big, Little and

oal Rivers and travel approximately 88 miles to Coalsmouth as St. Albans was once

amed and empties into the Kanawha River.

People in this part of the country are proud of their rivers and take oense

hen folks from outside try to describe them as a patch of dirty water. Thousands

pon thousands of river folks have learned to dance on the beaches, partied all night

n the rivers and learned to swim as youngsters in the waters of the Coal. Stories of

shing, parties on the beaches and baptisms are favorite topics at family gatherings.

he rivers, like the people that inhabit these craggy scarred mountains, are true

urvivors of life.

During the early 60s the coal mining, and unregulated, cleaning operations

ontributed tons and tons of black coal silt to the river. The black sand eventually

urned the wonderful caramel-colored beaches into black dirty looking mounds of

lt. Coupled with sewage born bacteria and polio scares the lower river was literally

bandoned by recreational users.

A group of volunteers established a unique angle for restoring the rivers in

004. They called themselves, the Coal River Group. Many of the founders were

nlikely environmentalists yet they shared a desire to return the rivers to their earlier

ecreational glory. These hardy souls just wanted to sh and boat but they designed

n elaborate and detailed development plan for restoring the rivers to their former

ecreational glory.

Studies by the Group included e-coli samples and other studies were

onducted using more detailed chemical analyses to determine if the rivers suered

om chemical pollutants. No samples resulted in ndings of gross chemical pollu-

on. PH studies, turbidity, aquatic life samples and actual sh shocking studies have

ubsequently revealed an amazing diversity of sh and a struggling but rejuvenated

ood bug population. Yes shermen you can still turn over a rock on the Big Coal

nd nd Hellgrammites, a renowned bass magnet, ready for action as mans best

atural bait. Build up of silt continues to plague the rivers; yet increased regulatory

upervision and tough new mining laws as well as public sewers are returning the

vers to their original beauty.

As a famous old barb once described rumors about his death, The stories of

my demise have been greatly exaggerated. So it is with the Coal Rivers. They have

een terribly treated by man and industry but they have shown an ability to perse-

ere. The same society that tried to destroy the rivers is now working diligently to

estore them. Local citizens living along the rivers are showing that they want to

reserve not only their long heritage of using the river as a recreational source but

so they want to leave future generations a gem of a watershed that just keeps

owing. by Bill Currey



31/52

In Venezuela water is key fundamental human right, an

essential element for life, rather than a commodity.The Bolivar-

ian Republic of Venezuelan through the 1999 Constitution has

empowered the population as real owners and managers of water

to ensure its rational use; sharing common responsibilities,

contributing to its conservation and management in quality and

quantity, as well as its rational use in a necessary sustainable

manner, and disposal and treatment for reuse are all shared

responsibilities between the population and the government..

Under the umbrella of participatory democracy, Venezu-

elans discuss and develop execution plans on issues such as

potable water and sanitation through community structures called

Water Community Boards (Mesas Tcnicas de Agua)

In 1999 the Venezuelan government initiated a public

policy aimed at democratizing water access and sanitation

through the empowerment of organized communities across

Venezuela.

Special emphasis was made in the northern part of the

country where water resources are scarce and more that 75 % of

the traditionally excluded Venezuelans lives mainly in large cities.

There the people have long struggled to gain access such vital

resources as clean water.

In the past, traditional bureaucratic institutions addressed

the problem, but as they did not engage the people and the

communities, solutions were elusive. Today in Venezuela there is

an understanding that it is not possible to solve such serious

problems without the communitys participation.

A Water Community Board is a grassroots organization

accountable for the management of water-related issues within

the community, such as: supply shortage, leaking pipes, pollution,

sanitation, etc . WCB scope includes actions to improve, maintain

and monitor water quality and sanitation service for its settle-

ments.

The WBC reects the will and the commitment of the

community and the state (represented by Hidroven, a public

water company) as a joint eort to assure clean water to all its

citizens. To date 3000 WCB have been established in traditionally

excluded communities such as shanty towns and rural areas,

providing benets to more than 400,000 people.

The WCBs contributed to the achievement of the

United Nations water Millennium Goals by 2005, 10 years in

advance.

More than 7 million Venezuelans now have access to the

potable water, 95% in urban areas and 79% in rural areas, and the

target of 100% has been planned by 2010. Regarding sewage

collection, Thus far sanitation has increased from 62% in 1999 to

82% in 2008, and water treatment has increased from 9% in 1999

to 27% today .

Water Community Boards

Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela



32/52

Self- Sustainable Water For Life

A Community-Based Rain Water Harvesting Project

Studying the history of famine and drought in Ethiopia shows

that the calamities of our time, with which the world has in the last

year or so become familiar, are but the last of a long series of such

disasters.

Famines are due to both natural and socio-economic factors,

which are often inter-connected. The former comprise drought,

locusts, caterpillars, the latter include deforestation, soil erosion

and exhaustion, fragmentation of land holdings, the subsistence

economy with its primitive agricultural tools and inadequate grain

storage, civil wars and external invasions. Though there have been

many years with good harvests, famine is frequent, at times almost

an endemic, occurrence in many parts of the country, and is almost

invariably followed by the out-break of epidemic diseases.

The situation today is however, vastly dierent, for the techno-

logical and other achievements of the twentieth century can-and-

must be harnessed for the good of man.

A basis for the permanent eradication of the eects of famine

and drought now exists. Malcoada-Shashamane is described as

being on the edge of the drought stricken area. The problem of

water shortage in the Village of Malcoada is widespread. Themajority of residents do not have running water supply.

With water levels at already critically low levels, existing

services are not able to cope with population increases and the

demand for water. There is now a thriving business in vendors

selling water at highly inated prices. This has limited the amount

of water for washing and bathing and there are serious concerns

about the sanitation and hygiene of the extremely poor members

of the community. The extremely poor are forced to use distant

and polluted sources such as rivers or open springs, which are also

used by livestock and for washing. Such usage is known to lead to

a variety of diseases transmitted by polluted water. Presently one

out of three rivers in the locality have completely dried up due to

excessive over-use.

Hydrological surveys of the Shashamane area have been

carried out in the past by local Drilling Companies to determinethe existence of underground water supplies. This has proven that

although water does exist it is far too deep to render its exploita-

tion economical. An estimate completed in 1994 put the cost at

38,000 USD for the drilling, capping etc of one Water Well.

With the above in mind and understanding that Water is Life,

this Micro project is being presented as a pre-cursor to implement-

ing the rst component of our proposed Vocational Training

Institute. In this respect it has been identied that an Organic

Agricultural Farm is to be established in the Malcoada area. It is

felt that by starting at the grassroots level of teaching the use ofvegetable gardening as a result of rainwater harvesting will help to

orientate the community to a more self-sustainable life style.



33/52

Mr.K.S.Raju is a city-based entrepreneur and is

part of the agro input and mineral water industry.He

comes from an agricultural family, whose roots can be traced to the

rural plains of West Godavari Dt. On one of his visits to Gollala-koderu, his hometown, Mr.Raju was appalled to see the pathetic

drinking water facilities that the neighborhood had to bear with. He

resolved to make a change, a change that would help increase the

village's prosperity.

Every nation prospers through its citizens. It is with the

ideas and actions of its people that a country treads ahead. Every

individual needs and has a right to good health, and the rst step to

good health is good sanitation and access to safe drinking water.

Keeping this social objective in mind Mr.Raju, an Indian Institute of

Management alumni, who already had an exposure in the waterindustry, decided in 2006 to dedicate a water purication plant at

Gollalakoderu. The villagers to this day have access to safe water

through the water purication plant. After the stupendous success

of the water purication plant at Gollalakoderu Mr.Raju started an

NGO, "Center for Water and Sanitation" and replicated the model in

a number of villages in Andhra Pradesh. His entrepreneurial

approach has helped CWS to install more than 55 Low Cost Water

purication plants in just a span of 15 months.

Today many other NGOs have replicated the same model in

other states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal

and Punjab.CWS is currently pursuing the activity in 10 villages of

Medak and Ranga Reddy Districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The replication of this model by NGOs through various donors

and government funding is in full swing in states like Andhra Pradesh,

Punjab, Haryana, Gujrat and Rajastan. The government of Andhra

Pradesh had also set up quite a few water purication plants forremoving uoride content in the water in various villages of Nalgonda

district. The technology was given by NEERI-Nagpur. Unfortunately

none of the plants are now in functional condition. An in depth study

revealed that the success in setting up such community based water

purication systems could be possible only when thorough training is

given to the operators. The long-term sustainability depends on how

successfully these operators can run and maintain the systems without

any breakdowns of the plant and maintaining the quality of water.

Taking into account the above training deciency and its need

for the success of any water purication plant, CWS has started a WaterInstitute in which a one-week theoretical and practical on-job training

is given to the existing and prospective operators. It is a residential

program and CWS has the necessary infrastructure and a water purica-

tion plant.

CWS has also launched a program for waterprenuers. Village

level educated and unemployed youth or the Self Help Group mem-

bers shall be encouraged to take up the program and then they will be

helped in sourcing the funds from banks so that they can set up their

own enterprise in their village and supply safe and pure drinking water

at an aordable price to their villages.

GollalakoderuCenter for Water and Sanitation



34/52

The Peoples National Party is a political party that

promotes education and sustainable development. One of our

beliefs is that a for a nation to have a good foundation we must

invest in sustainable development and education. With that in

mind we try and work with our youths. We try and educate them

about sustainable development, organic agriculture and at the

same time we continue to lobby for a good education for all

Belizeans. This we believe is essential for any nation.

Every Summer we try and have a summer camp where we

bring youths from the town of Punta Gorda to come out of and

explore nature. During this time we take up things that has

meaning and that they can relate to. In the picture below you will

see one of the adults monitoring an area that was illegally logged.

We would bring the youths to this area and explain to them what is

happening to our forest and at the same time our watersheds. It is

important that they understand at an early age.

At the same time we try and introduce them to the wild life

found in the area. We give them an opportunity to get close to the

wildlife so that they can become familiar and not be afraid of

things found in nature

After the summer is over we realize that the kids cannot

wait around until another year or until another summer to be

active so we decide to have an organic gardening project. Because

Belize is tropical we can work outside all year. So on Saturdays we

get the kids together and do some organic gardening but in

addition to that we do water quality monitoring and watershed

education. We bring the kids by the river and explain why it is

important to keep the waterways clean because nine miles down

stream the river meets the sea and if watersheds are not protected

then that will harm the coral reefs as well.

For this water day we will release a music video that was

made by some of our youths and was produced by some youths

from the United States city of Boston. We will release the video at

the Father Ring Parish Hall in Punta Gorda Town Belize.

Wil Maheia

Leader of the Peoples National Party

www.pnpbelize.org

Peoples National Watershed Project



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March Monitoring MonthEnvironmental Monitoring and Action Project

In March and April schools all around New Zealand are encour-

aged to participate in March Monitoring Month and Koura Kraze, an

annual competition run by The Environmental Monitoring and Action

Project (EMAP).The competition encourages students to monitor and

report back on the health of their local freshwater environment.

Koura Kraze encourages students from schools all over the

country to search for koura, the New Zealand freshwater craysh, in their

local waterways and submit their ndings to an online database. The

purpose of the activity is to collate a national database for koura distribu-

tion as an indicator of waterway health.

Koura are endemic to New Zealand. They are in gradual decline

and are listed as a threatened species. Koura can also act as an indicator

species. They can only live in water which is not heavily degraded. They are

also very easily recognizable and fun to study!

It is hoped that participation in this event will encourage students

become involved and engaged in learning that will be of national

scientic signicance and useful to the research community.

One of the major outcomes of the competition is the creation of

an online map showing where koura was found to be distributed and

equally importantly where koura was found to be not distributed around

New Zealand. Since 2007 information about koura distribution and habitat

preferences has been collected. This information can be found at

www.emap.rsnz.org.

In 2008 over forty schools participated in the event by either

entering data onto the online database or submitting a variety of

projects including cartoon strips, posters, photographs, blogs and stories

about their water monitoring activities. Entries came from all around of

New Zealand.

Each entry is given a prize and we are lucky enough to $5000

dollars worth of prizes to give away thanks to generous sponsorship from

the companies BOC Gases and Read Pacic Ltd. Some of the prizes given

away included water monitoring equipment so schools can continue to

monitor their local freshwater environment and fun spot prizes such as a

ying dragony toy and a freshwater craysh artwork.

The feedback from teachers and students involved in the

competition has been very positive. For example:

We have thoroughly enjoyed our river study unit. Thank you for the

great curriculum planning and ideas on the website-that was awesome!

Also a great idea to run a competition-it has been very motivating for the

student. I think they are all now more aware of the importance of streams

and rivers and have a better understanding of how they can help protect

and conserve our waterways and koura.

Our investigation has been an eye opener. It has shown us how

much people, weather and animals can aect the rivers in New Zealand

Involvement in the event has helped students gain a greater

understanding and appreciation of their environment.

Photos by EMAP

Our investigationhas been an eye

pener. It has shownhow much people,

eather and animals

an aect the riversin New Zealand



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Dallas, TexasLake Highlands 4H Club

The Lake Highlands 4H Club is dedicated to educat-

ing the community of Lake Highlands in Dallas on

current methods for water conservation. The club shares

the vision statement of the City of Dallas to become a

provider of superior water and an industry leader.

As of February 17, 2009, the overall depletion of the

Dallas Lake reservoirs is 16.1%. The water supply covers

699 square miles, 913,326 customers in treated water areas,

and 142,224 customers in untreated water areas. The water

supply comes from ve lakes: Lewisville, Grapevine, Ray

Hubbard, Tawakoni, and Ray Roberts. Since the operations

of the City of Dallas Water Utilities is funded solely by the

water and waste water rates of customers, customer educa-

tion and participation is important to maintaining anecient water supply.

Members of the 4H club do projects on why water is

important. An active water monitoring board is part of the

groups eort. Each quarter, a speaker from the water

utilities and storm water management does a presentation

for the community at the Audelia Road Library in Dallas.

The 2009 theme for the City of Dallas water conservation

is: Conservation in Action: What can You do to save water?

In the spirit of community and partnership, the Lake High-

lands 4H Club works with the Evergreen of Lake Highlands

Garden Club and Dallas Future Organic Farmers of America.

By Janice Fowler, Club Manager


WWAP/A. Clay

Photo By Marie-Aude Bo


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Muyenge village situated in the South West Province of

Cameroon has a population of about 2000 3000 people. The

inhabitants main occupations are farming cash crops and food

crops. Like most rural communities in Cameroon their living

conditions are deplorable- characterized by unclean and unsafe

water, poor sanitary conditions, poor habitats, bad roads etc. As

such, the water and sanitary situation is peculiar to most of the rural

areas in Cameroon.

Muyenge has two main sources of water supply. But the

water is quite unsafe for drinking because the people carry out

multi-purpose activities in the main water sources and are ignorant

of the eects - they bath, fetch water for home use, do laundry and

even defecate inside. They have the notion that water ows

downwards but are ignorant of the fact that the microbes that

contaminate the water swim backwards and forward. They also

assess clean water from appearance which in the contrary does not

make it safe, while dirty utensils also pollute clean water.One of the water points is by the Chiefs Palace. It is nearer

but quite unsafe since most people especially children frequent it

most and misuse it. More so, one just collect the water from the

stream directly. It is also sloppy and stony to descend and ascend to

get to the water point as such with the wetness of the legs it is

slippery causing accidents.

Another point is further o so mostly the brave make it with

large receptacles. There is a pipe from which water ows from so

most people prefer to collect their drinking water from there rather

than fetching directly from the stream.

With regards to the sanitary conditions there are very few toilets

vis-avis the number of habitats. Firstly, the houses are in clusters

providing no space to build toilets. Secondly, the ground is so hard and

stony making it dicult to dig a toilet especially since available mecha-

nism for digging through rocks is absent and the cost is also an issue.

Most of the toilets are the type whereby someone digs a pit and

cover with wood usually close to a pigsty allowing the pigs to feast on

the feces. With the limited toilets facilities people walk about two to

four blocks away just to use the bathroom.

The disposal of residues or dirt is done randomly in bushes,

streams and around the habitats. The community has been trying to

build a reservoir so that they can divert drinking water from the main

water point but due to nances this project has not been completed.

The Cameroon Government is doing nothing to help out even

though there is a bureau known as Community Development.

Story and photos by Cecile Enie

Muyenge VillageCenter for Water and Sanitation



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Lomas de Cafe

Hernndez Vsquez Familys Story

The Hernndez Vsquez family lives in the community of

Lomas de Cafe, located about 25km from the town of Camoapa.

The family consists of 4 people, 2 adults and two young children, aboy aged 2 and a girl, 6. The fathers name is Leonardo Hernndez

and the mother is Xiomara Vsquez, and they have lived in the area

for about 30 years.

The mother told us that the water problem was always

critical for many years and lately, it had been getting worse. There

was a small watering hole just 200 meters from their home, but it

had dried up in recent years, mostly due to the indiscriminate

deforestation in the zone. Once that source dried up, they decided

to try to address this problem and the neighbor proposed digginga well. They did, and then the neighbor decided not to share his

well water with the neighbors.

In order to wash clothes, they had to ll sacks with them

and carry them to the river, about 1km away. They also bathed in

the river, although since it was so far, they didnt always. Some-

times they carried a bucket of water back and used a bucket for

each person. For six years they did this.

Now we have a well that directly benets my family and 11

more that were lacking access to this service. This has greatlyhelped with these problems and now we have enough water to

carry out our household chores, although we are careful not to

waste water, since we know how important it is to our daily life.

This is not necessarily of monetary value, but it is of human value.

All of this is thanks to the community organization and the

unconditional support of El Porvenir. Without this organization, it

would not have been possible to achieve our dream of clean and

healthy water so close to our homes.

Now the community is involved in the El Porvenir reforesta-tion program as well, eager to protect their new water sources.



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Bob Pratt has been the Water keeper at George Gordon

st Nation for over 18 years. For years, engineers repeatedly

ade Bob feel that he was the reason why George Gordon

idents did not have safe drinking water. Bob watched as threeerent engineering companies during 15 years tried to

mprove the quality of drinking water to the community. This

oved very dicult until the Safe Drinking Water Foundation

DWF) started to work with Bob and showed that the engineers

ere trying to do what SDWF showed to be chemically impos-

le.

In 2002 Bob and the leadership of George Gordon First

tion became aware of the Integrated Biological and Reverse

mosis Membrane (IBROM) water treatment process being

veloped at nearby Yellow Quill First Nation. Bob made severalits to Yellow Quill and met Dr. Hans Peterson of the SDWF who

s heading up the Yellow Quill pilot.

It soon became evident to Dr. Hans that Bob knew exactly

hat he was talking about! He had extensive knowledge and

derstanding of the water treatment process and its inability to

ectively produce safe drinking water. After studying the

alytical data available, it was obvious to SDWF scientists that no

atter what Bob did, the process at George Gordon was

capable of producing safe drinking water! By using science

orge Gordon leaders were able to negotiate with Indian and

rthern Aairs Canada to implement an IBROM system at

nicantly reduced costs from the implementation at Yellow

ill.

Bob and his Public Works Manager, Derek Morris, became

two of the founding members of the SDWF Advanced Aborigina

Water Treatment Team (AAWTT). Both Bob and Derek are eager

to share both their political and scientic experiences to help

other First Nation communities achieve safe drinking water for

their people.

Bob was promoted to be the Circuit Rider for the Touch-

wood Tribal Council in 2007, and also that year he presented to

the graduating students of the Engineering faculty at the Unive

sity of Saskatchewan in the hope that up and coming engineers

would consider using science when designing water treatment

processes. Bob has been interviewed by dierent media and ha

given presentations across the country. Bob organized the rst

workshop on ground water held at George Gordon in 2008 and

had previously organized a much larger workshop in Saskatoon

in December 2007 with a follow-up workshop to be held in

Saskatoon in spring 2009.

Bob is a shining example of how Water Keepers are often

blamed for ineective water treatment systems, and how his

persistence to nd solutions paid o. Leadership at George

Gordon has supported Bob in his eorts to help other commun

ties achieve that same goal. Bob is happy to mentor and oer

advice to anyone experiencing similar problems, and is especia

willing to help other communities with ground water. Bob is

especially happy to show how a community can test its own

water, do a few calculations, and then determine if there is any

hope for the treatment process to work

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