Water is an important necessity in life. And while substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation in the country, thousands of rural dwellers mostly in rural areas still lack these basic services.
In our Mondays edition, we reported about water shortage that hits Wellingara village in Sami District. It is high time, government and development partners’ harmonies’ swift strategies to address the water crisis in this rural settlement.
But then again, water crisis reminds us all that climate change is real and not a joke. We are all living witness to the climate variances sweeping across the globe.
Unusual temperatures caused by climate change have made rainfall unpredictable with significant changes in rainfall patterns making droughts and floods more common in many parts of the country.
Globally, is estimated that over 880 million people–about one in every nine people in the world- do not have access to clean water within 6 km of their homes.
However, this should not be taken granted as every household needs water to survive.
Just imagine, a village of more than 300 people having to depend only one well. And this excludes animals that also depend on the same well to survive. This is indeed alarming.
And what is even more worrying is the fact that children sometimes after drinking the water, complaint of stomach ache, which may be a sign of water contamination.
Water is a foundation of life and livelihoods, and is key to sustainable development. Successful water management will serve as a foundation for the achievement of many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as for SDG 6 - which is to ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
However, this lofty ambitious Sustainable Development Goals will still be an elusive dream in the country if communities continue to lack and grapple with access to clean and portable water.
This also reminds us the need to bring in technology to help harness water more efficiently and build long-term water conservation plans