Adenike Akinsemolu
Water is life. We all know that. It's the most basic and essential element that we need to survive. But have you ever thought about how water can also be death? In the Ilaje coastal community, Ondo State, Nigeria, I met a mother who knows this all too well. She lost her child to the floods that ravaged their community. Her child, who slept in the same room as her, was swept away by the raging waters. She searched for him frantically, but it was too late. By the time they found him and rushed him to the nearest hospital, he was already gone.
This mother's heartbreak is just one of many stories of how water affects people in different ways. Women and girls, in particular, are vulnerable to the water crisis. I also met a girl who was raped when trying to fetch water. She narrated the story as a hot day in the small coastal village, and the sun beat down mercilessly on the dirt roads. She was on her way to fetch water from the polluted ocean. The water in the ocean was dirty and contaminated, but it was the only source of water for the entire community. The girl had to make the dangerous journey to the ocean every day, walking through the scorching heat.
As she made her way to the ocean, the girl heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a man she didn't recognise, but he grabbed her and dragged her off the road before she could react. The girl screamed for help, but no one was around to hear her. The man raped her and left her there, alone and traumatised.
The girl managed to return to the village but was too afraid to tell anyone what had happened. She was ashamed and felt like it was her fault. She continued to make the dangerous journey to the ocean every day, but she was now more afraid than ever before.
The devastating impact of unclean water and lack of access to good health facilities cannot be overstated. Countless lives have been lost to water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and diarrhoea. Despite SDG Target 6.1's goal of achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030, the global situation is still dire. As of 2020, only 74% of the world's population had access to a safely managed water source, which means that one in four people still lack safe drinking water access (See Figure 1). Looking at the breakdown of drinking water access globally and across regions and income groups, we can see that in countries with the lowest incomes, less than one-third of the population have safe water. Unfortunately, most of these people live in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting that there is still a long way to go before we can achieve SDG Target 6.1.
Figure 1: Share of the population with access to drinking water
Take the situation in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria, for example. This affluent area may conjure an image of comfort and luxury with its impressive architecture and beautiful relaxation spots. However, beneath the surface lies a dangerous reality – lack of access to drinkable water. If water is life, then the inability to obtain clean water means that life does not exist in Lekki. Despite their wealth and privilege, Lekki residents are still exposed to water-related diseases resulting from sub-standard and unregulated sources of water supply. The implications on sanitation are dire, with increasing cases of dysentery and diarrhea-induced pathogenic bacteria infections sparking concerns about public health in the area.
The lack of access to clean drinking water is not just a problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. The devastating effects of the water crisis are felt in coastal communities worldwide. Sea-level rise is causing the destruction of vernacular architecture in coastal regions, and water scarcity is affecting everyone, regardless of where we live or our socioeconomic status.
It's a heartbreaking situation highlighting the urgency of addressing the water crisis. We must take action to ensure that everyone has access to clean water and sanitation, no matter where they live or how much money they have. The water crisis affects us all, and we must demand change and make a difference.
This year's theme for World Water Day is Accelerating Change. It's a call to action to address the water crisis. If you think it doesn't affect you, think again. Everyone is affected irrespective of their socio-economic status.
We can all be the change we want to see in our society. There's a story of an ancient hummingbird who did just that. When a forest was on fire, and all the animals were fleeing for their lives, the hummingbird flew to the nearest stream, picked up a drop of water in its beak, and flew back to the forest. It dropped the drop of water on the fire and flew back to the stream to get more. The other animals laughed and asked, "What do you think you're doing? You're not going to put out the fire with those drops of water." The hummingbird replied, "I'm doing what I can."
We can all do what we can to address the water crisis. We can support organisations working to provide access to clean water and sanitation facilities. We can advocate for policies that prioritise water conservation and management. We can reduce our water consumption and use sustainable water practices at home and work. We can educate ourselves and others about the water crisis and the importance of taking action.
But it's not enough to just do what we can as individuals. We need to demand action from our governments, businesses, and communities. We need to boldly state that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right to be protected.
We can also learn from the experiences and knowledge of indigenous communities who have lived sustainably with water for generations. We can work with them to implement sustainable water management practices that respect and honour their traditional knowledge.
On this World Water Day, let's be the hummingbirds of our society. Let's do what we can to accelerate change, address the water crisis, protect our communities, and create a world where everyone can access clean water and sanitation. Let's honour the stories of those who have suffered due to the lack of access to water and sanitation by taking meaningful action. Together, we can create a world where water is not a source of death and suffering but a source of life and flourishing.
Reference
Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2021) - "Clean Water and Sanitation". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/clean-water-sanitation' [Online Resource]
Adenike Akinsemolu is a Vanguard Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Birmingham.