Water: A resource at the centre of everything

By Technical and Programme Quality Department, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL

Water for health

It has been proven time and time again that access to a sufficient quantity of drinking water, supplemented by the use of hygienic toilets and good hygiene practises, is still the most effective way of preventing epidemics. Diseases spread by faecal-oral transmission (acute diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid fever, etc.) and those linked to unsafe water (malaria, bilharzia, etc.) remain one of the primary causes of death in the world, responsible for 2.6 million deaths every year.

Water for food security

A regular supply of fresh water, whether or not it is drinkable, is the cornerstone for maintaining, or indeed developing, economic activity in rural areas. Environmentally-friendly irrigation enables harvests to be salvaged during times of drought, and can help farmers obtain two or three harvests per year rather than one.

Water is equally essential for livestock farmers: for watering cattle, optimising pastureland and producing fodder. It is also vital for urban economies. Finally, there is a direct link between drinking water and access to revenue, when workers in good health are able to work. According to the WHO, every 1$ invested in sanitation in developing countries represents 9$ in economic benefits.

Water to combat malnutrition

It has long been accepted that the implementation of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) programmes in communities affected by malnutrition is an essential element in the battle against severe and chronic malnutrition. It’s important to remember that malnutrition and diarrhoea combined create a vicious circle, and that child malnutrition is responsible for 35% of deaths in children under five. It is estimated that 50% of these cases are directly linked to chronic diarrhoea or intestinal worms (source: UN Water 2008).

Water for learning

The impact of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes extends to schools. A healthy pupil is more alert, more likely to succeed – and on a very basic level, able to attend school more regularly. According to UNICEF, 272 million schooldays are lost each year due to diarrhoeal diseases. It is also an established fact that the existence of clean toilets, equipped with facilities for dealing with personal hygiene during menstruation, is an important factor in preventing teenage girls from dropping out of school.

Water for the environment

WASH programmes also have a positive effect on the protection of the environment: solid waste management, the treatment of waste water, and rainwater drainage all play an important part. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL supports the establishment of community water management committees which facilitate the sustainable management of water reserves, thereby enabling their preservation in the long term. In addition, by creating infrastructures that take into account the risk of natural disasters (floods, drought) as well as potential social conflicts linked to the management of water resources, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL helps reduce these risks for the communities.

Photo : Carl de Keizer