Please listen to AV radio program podcasts on www.blogtalkradio.com/africanviews
OUR NEXT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IS: Water and Sanitation in Africa
Water, they say is life. Indeed water forms three-quarters of the surface of the earth. Ironically, water happens to be one of the rarest elements in many developing countries. Sub-Sahara Africa, in particular suffers from a dearth of potable water. Its cities and towns are literally dry, while its people are thirsting from water in spite of the fact that Africa has some of the biggest rivers and largest lakes in the world.
Like hunger, deprivation in access to water is a silent crisis experienced by the poor and tolerated by those with the resources, the technology and the political power to end it (UNDP, 2006). This crisis holds back human progress with a large segment of humanity living in poverty, vulnerability and insecurity. According to the UNDP, lack of water claims more lives through diseases than any war claims through guns.
Beyond the household need of water and sanitation (WATSAN) to sustain health and maintain dignity, water also sustains the ecological systems and provides an input into the production systems of any nation. Access to water for life is a basic human need and a fundamental human right. Some 1.1 billion people in the developing countries have inadequate access to safe improved water (UNDP, 2006). The rural areas that depend on water from unprotected dug wells, rivers, lakes or streams for drinking are at risk of infection by waterborne diseases if sanitation is poor. Too few enjoy the safety and convenience of having water that has been treated piped into their homes or compound. UNICEF (2006), states that water that are most likely referred to as being safe and improved are those from standpipes, tube wells or boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs and rainwater.
Not much can be said about the need for abundant water. It is a dire necessity that no nation can overlook.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Africa faces water stress which “refers to economic, social or environmental problems caused by unmet water needs.”
Our discussions would examine the issues of WATSAN, its causes, effects and what needs to be done to sustain the growing population of the Sub-Saharan Region in Africa.
If you are interested in joining our discussion, send us an
email@ourenvironment@africanviews.org to schedule and announce your participation on the show, otherwise please mark your calendar and call in during the show to participate.
JOIN OUR DISCUSSION LIVE BY PHONE
WHEN: SUNDAY October 2nd, 2011
TIME: 1: 00 PM-2: 00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME
SKYPE ID: AFRICANVIEWS
CONTRIBUTORS AND LISTENERS DIAL-IN NUMBER: (760) 283-0850
CO-HOST: Wale Idris CO-HOST: Ernest Opong
Listen live: www.blogtalkradio.com/africanviews
ABOUT GREEN AFRICA
One of Africa’s biggest challenges is the need to develop environmentally sustainable ways of living for its people. Green Africa is a weekly environmental discussion on AV radio, created to help mobilize a fresh understanding of Africa’s responsibilities in the universal ecosystem and generate consensus for right action. The program is organized and represented by a wide range of grassroots organizations and experts on a diverse scientific, social, and economics of green politics and environmental issues. Topics are centered around sustainable management of resources and stewardship of the environment through advocacies on changes in public policies and individual behavior in recognition of humanity, ecosystems, ecology, health, and human rights.
The show is brought to you by Amandla News, Beyond Oil, and African Views (AV).
Host: Ernest K. Opong
Producer and Director: Wale Idris Ajibade
Quality control: William A. Verdone
Contributor: Wasiu Alade
Contributor: Emekop Ebuk
Sponsors: Amandla News, and African Views (AV)
