HORN OF AFRICA: Water, Sanitation & Environment

Welcome to Water Sanitation Magazine @ Blogger---------------BULLETIN------------------Did you know that in many parts of the world, water is a deadly drink?

HORN OF AFRICA:
WATER, SANITATION & ENVIRONMENT

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Name: Noah Amin:
Profession: Water Quality Scientist
Contact: noahark2000@gmail.com
Editor: H.Amin

STARTLING HORN OF AFRICA IMAGES:

Is the Horn of Africa land of plenty or one of scarcity?

IT IS ONE OF PLENTY!

But life is a daily struggle; hunger & infinite preventable diseases cause premature deaths. And as resources dwindle due to mismanagement, poverty prevails and people go to the unknown dying in the high seas or else go to refugees camps in their own lands!

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Did you know that dirty water can be a deadly drink? The reason is because Pathogens (disease causing microorganisms) inherently present in dirty waters cause diseases that may threaten your health.Just boil your water and you may well be safe!

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Friday, May 25, 2007

Somaliland Water Scarcity And The Challenges Of The MDGs
Meeting Basic Needs: For Safe And Sufficient Water And Sanitation

ABSTRACT:

Water, the source and origin of all life, is scarce in Somaliland. The country lies within the tropical monsoon region, but has 1000m3per person per year. Its annual average rainfall is only 253mm, (western areas and far eastern Sanag region, receive 430mm rainfall) with no major perennial rivers while the potential evapotransportation is above 2000 mm per year.

So, water scarcity is a major deterrent to sustainable socio-economic development in the country and to this date, success in the development of water systems remains elusive. In addition, a 1997/2000 inconclusive survey by the government (Somaliland) shows that the areas¡¦ water quality is too poor indicating that most of the country's drinking water sources are unfit for direct human consumption. In fact, access to safe water is limited to only 20% for urban areas. And of the 60% of the nomadic population who raise agriculture and livestock, less than 10% has access to safe water when almost none has access to sanitation.

Consequently, many water-related diseases are rife, endemic and epidemic in Somaliland with high morbidity/mortality rates causing many pre-mature deaths of 138/1000, Oxfam 1992 (limited information says diarrhea alone claims about 100,000 mostly children in Somalia, nationwide).

Considering this water scarcity and the need to provide coverage for Somaliland people by 2025 to meet the Millennium Developmental Goals and the World Summit For Sustainable Development targets set for Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Community, NEPAD, AMCOW, Africa Water Task Force etc. have major moral leadership challenges/obligations waiting ahead especially if this fledgling democracy is to meet those goals.

Introduction
Water is life. All living things, humans, animals, plants as well as the ecosystems depend on water for survival and existence. Fortunately, it is plenty in nature as the hydrosphere covers over 70% of the earth. But 97.47% is salty and more than two-thirds of the remainder is trapped in poles as ice and snow and in deep underground. Less than 1% is accessible. In addition, worldwide, freshwater is hugely distributed uneven. It is this poor distribution, the geometrical growth of world population and man¡¦s activities that further reduce freshwater resources quantity and quality causing water scarcity crisis worldwide.

Water, What Is It?
Water is a unique blend of colorless, odorless liquid. It is not a living particle but there is no life without it too. Water is also unique in both its physical and chemical properties as it is one of the few substances that expand on cooling to zero degrees centigrade, a condition that facilitates ice to float so that life in oceans and seas is preserved¡Klarge bodies of water covered with masses of ice and snow do still provide enough warmth for undersea flora and fauna and still maintain enough dissolved oxygen that is so essential to the survival life. Were it not this uniqueness, oceans, seas and all bodies of water would freeze from bottom up killing lives in it. Blocks of ice and snow would stay unmelted even during hot summers creating drastic climatic change as there would be less water evaporation resulting less precipitation. Water is also unique as it has a moderating effect for it can absorb a lot of heat without itself becoming warmer. This alone can justify why bodies of water remain cool when adjacent sand beaches may fry your bare feet.

In addition, during evaporation, water absorbs heat and escapes into the atmosphere. But when it comes down as rain, the same heat is dissipated back to the atmosphere. Water acts as an energy custodian and as a liquid that is in the oceans, seas and in the air, it acts as a thermostat that regulates heat. Water is also a universal solvent and all living things depend on it for food assimilation that is so important for sustenance and growth.

Water Is Life
Water is the source and origin of all life! All living things depend on water for survival and existence. On the average, our body is 75-85% water. Unlike hunger, which our body can survive for several weeks as the body possesses sufficient reserves, a lack of water will lead to certain death within days as our body cannot retain any water reserves. (Peter Gleick of Pacific Institute of Oakland, California regards 20-40 liters per person per day, as the minimum to meet all person's needs).

In addition, we need water for keeping clean and we need it for farming. Water helps insure that all living things assimilate food nutrients without which life on this earth would be impossible. Biochemical/biological reactions that take place during metabolism and growth of living cells (plant and animal) take place only in aqueous media. With the help of water through osmosis, chlorophyll and sun light, plants absorb nutrients/minerals to build simple sugars. And water helps our body discharge its wastes. It lubricates our systems, keeps them free from waste and maintains a normal body. Water is also a critical component of most global systems, such as climate, vegetation and erosion and human disturbances of one part of the water cycle inevitably have impacts in others.

Water Availability In Somaliland
Worldwide, freshwater is hugely distributed uneven. In addition, pollution and high population growth rate further reduce freshwater resources quantity and quality. It is the sum of these problems that cause water scarcity crisis worldwide.

Somaliland is located in the Horn of Africa¡K.its boundaries are defined by the Gulf of Aden in the north; Somalia in the east, Ethiopia in the south and west and Djibouti in the northwest (it lies between latitudes 80 27' north and longitudes 420 35' east). And though it is in the tropical monsoon climate zone, water availability is a major issue as rainfall is extremely low and variable¡Kthe country¡¦s average annual rainfall is only 253mm with no major perennial rivers while the potential evapotransportation is above 2000 mm per year. So, the country is water scarce ¡Kwater scarcity happens when a country has less than 1000M3 per person per year (the 2,800 calories a person needs a day for adequate nourishment requires a minimum of 1000M3 of water).

Somaliland experiences four seasons; only Gu (spring) is rainy (March-May). Hagaa (summer)¡KJune-August, is hot and dry and Dyr (fall) late August-November; is cool though occasionally rainy and the Jilaal or winter December- late March is dry. In fact, the country suffers from different types of scarcities (i) natural water scarcity due to its unfavorable arid climate (ii) demographic scarcity because of its huge livestock populations (iii) technical scarcity because of its low level of development. And it is not only lacking available water resources, it is also desperately lacking trained manpower and financial resources to set up institutions that can develop badly needed infrastructure.

In addition, drought with scaring effects and its major impacts on people¡¦s and animal life is another feature of the country¡¦s physical environment. For instance, severe droughts followed by occasional torrential rainfall kill hundreds of people and thousands of livestock and any sign of it is often received with dread and worry. Prayers and sacrifice for rain are therefore common and the onset of rain is often viewed as the single most important event of the year. So, today, groundwater constitutes the principal source of potable water in most areas and is in fact, the basic component in most of the country¡¦s water needs particularly during droughts and with the exception of seasonal rainfall it is the major source.

Fortunately, a 1999 UN studies on groundwater, show that there is sufficient quantity of water to cover the domestic needs of the whole population¡K but in spring, excess rainfall water has been getting discharged into the seas after coursing its way through the drains. In effect, it is possible to prevent this wastage of water by storing it during the rainy season for use as drinking water during the dry seasons; or for allowing it to seep underground in dry areas as a measure of maintaining adequate levels of ground water. This water can subsequently be recharged or pumped up for irrigational or drinking purposes¡K Somaliland must harvest this by capturing it and allowing it to percolate down into aquifers or store in dams and reservoirs. But, authorities must realize that doing so requires caution as it may cause environmental degradation due to the potential influx of huge livestock and people due to the availability of water.

In Somaliland, access to enough water is limited and the country¡¦s main export is dependent on rainfall for adequate pastures and watering. Urban and rural communities access to safe water in most cases is restricted especially in dry seasons¡K access is typically available for only about 20% of the population in the urban areas and almost nothing exists for the rural community. So, rural communities depend on four sources of water: the dry wells, the springs, open water holes (ballays; berkads) and boreholes. Most villages use berkads, ballays and boreholes or shallow wells.

Ministry of Water and mineral Resources (1999):
Region Drilled wells Abandoned wells Hand dug wells Springs Berkad/ Ballays Water Systems
Awdal 37 21 over 300/ important 38/ 22 fitted with pumps 22 31 surveyed/\ most bacterial contamination mini water systems/2 urban/5 rural
Galbeed 62 34 465 8 5061 11 water systems 2 urban/9 mini water supply
Tog Dheer 43 14 1300 8 4920 1 water system
Sahil 12 6 over 600 20 --- 8 water system
Sanaag 35 6 250 38 88 8 water system
Sool 18 1 120 15 300 13 water system
Source: C. Fiallace and E. R. Failace (1986):

Waterr Quality Data Book of Somalia, V.2.; Ministry of Water and mineral Resources (1999): Inventory of Permanent Water Sources in Somaliland
Groups from nomadic population for example need supply points that lie within a few days¡¦ walk even when the weather is bad or fodder is short and the average length of stay at a given place is extended accordingly and the risk of overuse becomes greater. But too many livestock watering points can have disastrous environmental consequences though in Somaliland, the need to preserve human life may sometimes mean that these primary concerns have to be ignored and even non-renewable ground water must be exhausted with long-term repercussions. And uncontrolled groundwater withdrawal causes adverse consequences on the quality of surface and groundwater and thus indirectly on the human health and that of animals. It often leads to over-drafting and a good water supply in rural areas can lead to overgrazing of vegetation and compaction of the soil by the livestock.

The Health Dimension
Water Quality, Sanitation And Health

As a general rule, safe and sanitary freshwater is essential for a healthy living. But water (like health) is subject to degradation. So, when we drink polluted water (dirty water), we are building, over a period of time, the basis for sickness or diminished health. And use of contaminated water gives rise to waterborne diseases¡K when microbiological and chemical contaminants enter water supplies, they do so as a result of human activity or are found in nature and the potential for health problems from drinking dirty water illustrated by the local outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Moreover, many diseases have been linked to contamination due to bacteria or viruses probably from human or animal waste. ¡K In 1992, UNCED estimated that ¡§¡K80 per cent of all diseases, and over one-third of deaths in developing countries are water-associated, and on average as much as one-tenth of each person's productive time is sacrificed to water-related diseases¡¨¡K and within the developing world, the poorer urban and rural households carry the burden (Agenda 21, UNCED, Chapt. 18, p175).

In Somaliland, water scarcity and pollution due to animal wastes turn springs, wells, bardkads, ballays etc. to filthy trickle¡Kpolluted water contains impurities (minerals, gases, viruses, parasites, bacteria, suspensions etc.) that give rise to water borne diseases, creating epidemics and posing greater risks. And a limited survey carried out by the government (Somaliland) shows conductivity, hardness, dissolved solids etc. are too high, conductivity up to 11,000 MicroS/cm in most sources and the few bacteriological screens conducted (total coliforms) in many areas show CFU200/100ml (world standard zero) The poor sanitation indicates that most of the country's drinking water sources are unfit for direct human consumption.

In addition, the harsh environment and the resulting erosion due to torrential rains further reduce quality of fresh water while deforestation and degradation of once grassy lands accelerate and alter the water cycle, threatening the continuity of the ecosystems and groundwater recharge¡K(the dominant hazard is flooding, which when it occurs washes away topsoil slowly choking streams, dams and reservoirs and causing further water quality impairment).

Today, despite the 1980s International Decade of providing safe drinking water and sanitation services for the developing world, only 20% of Somaliland people who live in urban areas have access to clean water supply. And almost all those who live in small towns or rural areas lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation services though the UN considers both a human right.

Global Mortality From Water-Related Diseases Versus Somaliland (figure 2)
WHO 2000 2.2 million (diarrhea diseases only)
WHO 1999 2.3 million
Hunter et al 2000 more than 5 million
UNDP 2002 more than 5 million
Johannesburg 2002 more than 5 million
Water Dome 2002 more than 3 million
UNICEF 1992 100,000 per year (Somalia
Hinrichsen et al 1997 12 million
Source: world 1996 and others in (peter gleick: dirty water 2000-2020)

As a result, many water-short households are forced to rely on contaminated water supplies. And waterborne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery and cholera etc. are on the rise. Diarrhea alone affects hundreds of thousands mostly children and killing hundreds yearly. Intestinal helminths, trachoma etc. are high. And it is believed that diarrhea alone claims over 100,000 deaths in Somalia (nationwide) and estimates show that one in four dies before fifth birthday. It is therefore, unfortunate that water scarcity is probably the single greatest threat to Somaliland people¡¦s health, their environment and food supply. It threatens food security and peace as people seek to cope with shortages.

In environmental terms, growing urbanization further exacerbates the problem as it concentrates large numbers of human beings, demanding dependable sources of water and adequate sanitation services on unprecedented scales¡K (Hargeisa, the capital city for instance has grown from 300 to 700 thousand residents and continues to grow). The changes in land use pattern brought about by the urbanization also affect water supplies by altering and accelerating natural rain patterns and runoffs. It erodes soils and speeds evaporation with urban runoff severely degrading quality of life and further creating health and hygiene problems. Most of those who suffer are the poor who live in peri-urban areas.

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Water is a vital resource that is unfortunately scarce in Somaliland; so the nation must fully assess its groundwater as there are perennial rivers.
The nation must develop comprehensive national water resource development programs for sustainable water strategies.

The country¡¦s water scarcity can be offset by harvesting spring torrential rainwater in catchments, dams, reservoirs etc. with the intention of replenishing groundwater cycle. But, in doing that it must avoid disrupting the delicate ecological balance of the land as huge influx of people and livestock due to water availability can cause overgrazing exposing topsoil to erosion rendering soil sterile and unproductive.

The nation should explore ways to acquire simple, inexpensive, proven effective technologies for the acquisition of drinking water and sanitation services.

But, the nation must prioritize policies and measures to insure adequate and clean environmental sanitation practices including disposal of garbage.

The nation must provide clean water/sanitation access to its rural community.
The nation must establish water quality guidelines and encourage hygienic practices since without them, people will continue to suffer from water-borne diseases.

Lack of basic services, education, food supplies, shelter, water and sanitation services often lead to prevalence of preventable infectious diseases; so the nation must raise community awareness of the role human/animal wastes play in the propagation of poor health.
People must break their traditional unhygienic habits and gender participation must be encouraged ¡Kleadership (especially women).

Finally, the nation must actively pursue help from international community and donor organizations in particular who are morally obligated to redress this human tragedy.

Noah [ 2:26 PM ]

Harnessing our sun’s energy for commercial use is the next hi-tech frontier!

The other day, I was in an international science and technology conference/exhibition in one of the major cities in the Middle East and I was truly amazed how far man had gone in utilizing science and technology and applies it toward his developmental needs. I was especially impressed in one occasion when a Chinese company showed me in its stall a new solar energy-harnessing module that would supposedly store our sun’s energy for all future needs. Huge horizontal silos with tinny cylindrical cellular attachments in vast geometrical arrays would, according to the exhibitor, absorb the sun’s energy, store it indefinitely and avail it for a myriad of uses whenever and wherever needed. Hence the need for fossil fuels will become a thing of the past soon. “What a scientific marvel and a success of humanity!” I whispered to myself.

However, though amazed of that human success, naturally as an African I was truly embarrassed since there was no African nation there and so, thousands of questions, excerpts of which are the following, immediately came to my mind:

Now that man had taken such huge strides in that new and spectacular frontier, will nations soon fight for supremacy over the outer space as each nation scrambles to grab its “fair” share of the sun’s energy for its national developmental needs?

Could world’s top research scientists already be theorizing how to place huge dishes that would deflect ALL the sun’s energy to centralized stations that would absorb, process and store it in huge storage facilities for commercial purposes?
Will a vast new niche of satellites be placed in our already crowded skies soon for that purpose?

That realized, could technologically advanced nations take a lion’s share of our sun’s abundant energy, commercialize it leaving behind tribal-strife-torn Africans in the cold?

Could this resource which the whole continent of Africa always had in abundance and taken for granted for centuries be monopolized by those who had already “rightly and wrongly” grabbed all world resources and utilize it for their better economic gains?

Will those developed nations all of which fall outside the perimeters of mother earth’s tropical hot climate again colonize poor Africa by stripping it out of its legitimate last resource?

Will destitute Africa again end up in begging and waiting for handouts even for our sun’s energy despite being the sole continent that lies within the tropical hot climate?
And could it even possibly one day snow all over pathetic Africa simply because it will have no access to already “commercialized sun’s energy” and its people freeze to death?

Is not amazing that man’s superb intelligence never runs out of innovations, ideas and inventions?

But is it not really embarrassing that Africans are beaten in every field of life and yet shamefully continue to fight over trivial issues?

Despite these disturbing and horrific thoughts, I was impressed how flawless the exhibition was; how amazing the high niche technology on the exhibit was; how inspiring the precise innovations on display were and how magnificently the show was organized, how remarkable man’s intelligence is and how amazing the myriad of technological supplies that were on display at the center were!

So, this short article is an appeal to my fellow Africans, and let me say that while it is a fact that the African continent is the second largest in the world; while it is also a fact that it is the birth place of mankind and while it is a fact that it is unbelievably rich when it comes to natural resources, how behind and backward it is, is painfully mind-boggling and extremely bewildering!

It is too hard to understand that we Africans do not realize that developments such as those described are only the result of man’s innovative imagination. It is too hard to understand that we Africans do not realize that today’s technological advances are the product of man’s superb intelligence. It is too hard to understand that we Africans do not realize that while our intelligence is not inferior to that of any other race because many of us excel in distinguished international universities graduating with honors, we have yet to contribute any thing of value toward this world’s civilization, science and technology!

Rather, our contributions are: tyranny by despotic leadership, nepotism and greed, public incivilities all of which breed civil strife and corruption which robs our continent of its developmental resources and continuous wars that result only death and destruction all of which contribute toward our peoples’ misery!

My fellow Africans please:

Consider strife-torn Somalia in where Africa’s main killer disease…tribalism nightmares sink that nation into mayhem and bloodshed that have yet to stop despite over 16 long years.

Consider the daily hostage taking of oil workers by untamable tribal Nigerian gangs, who despite that nation’s high literacy rate and educational level, refuse to respect law and order!

Consider Zimbabwe’s strife and economic down slide since independence due to Robert Mugabe’s nepotistic tribal ideology that drove out the legitimate leader of that nation… Mr. Joshua Nkomo whose sacrifices liberated his country from colonialism…. simply because Mr. Joshua happened to be of a different tribe!

Consider Sudan’s thirty-year civil war between the South and the North and its new demonizing civil war in the Darfur Region caused by the Janjaweed tribal militias and the resulting misery despite that nation’s huge natural wealth including oil and gas.

Consider Liberia’s ugly civil wars in which hundreds of thousands died and hundreds of thousands more were maimed forever!

Consider Siera Leone’s long civil war in which thousands died and hundreds of thousands more suffer despite having one of the richest diamond fields of the continent.

Consider the Republic of Congo in which rape, death and destruction bleed the resources of the nation and force millions to live in local refugee camps despite being the superpower of Africa when it comes to natural resources!

Consider the Rwandan genocide and the ugly slaughter in which close to a million people were massacred overnight simply because they were of other tribes!

Brothers and sisters, the whole episode is shameful but that is what we have. It is shameful that the miseries we cause instigate the mass exodus of our people to the unknown. It is shameful that these miseries lead our people to die on the shores of Europe, a Europe that is not willing to accept us let alone offer us sanctuaries. It is our self-inflicted wounds that make us…Africans look inferior in the eyes of others. It is our inherently pathetic indifference of our situation that keeps our continent behind. And it is our inability to accept one another, abandon hate and let our people live in peace and harmony.

The African continent is wealthy. It is rich in wildlife that roams in the wild in its multitudes. And only developing that industry alone could significantly make our continent an economic power. Africa is rich in gold and diamonds too. It is rich in culture and climate and it is rich in the Sun’s Energy because of its geographical local; an energy that is the new target of today’s science and technology, which will soon exploit it and may help wealthy nations monopolize. In fact nations are already striving to take a lion’s share. Let us wake up to realities. It is never too late but it is now or never!

It is therefore, incumbent upon us to heed the following eloquent poem by a prominent Somali Poet!

Niman yohow addoomaha illaah kala ayaan roone! Afrikaanka moyee ma jiro ruux itaal yarie! Inkaar inay qabaa iyo waqtiga inaanay eegeenin! Arrintoodu meel bay aqoon iin ku leedahaye!

“Ow people, some of the Lord’s servants are luckier than others. And only Africans are weak economically; They (Africans) may be either cursed or else they do not see (realize) the challenges of time! Painfully, their being must have some weakness somehow somewhere!”

I personally think that that “weakness somehow somewhere”, has something to do with the deadly effects of killer tribalism that harbors despotism and corruption which are followed by wars that hamper Africa from progress and rob it from its natural resources that could be utilized for all its developmental needs!

Despite all these, we cannot give up hope because the good thing about the Africans is that they beat others in forgiving and forgetting the past and it is due to that natural God-given gift of the African that President Nelson Mandela forgot and forgave those who aggrieve him for 27 long and lonely years! Brothers and sisters it is a high time that we hold shoulder to shoulder and move our continent, the sole natural resources superpower, forward!

Noah [ 10:27 AM ]