Water for the Ages

Visions of Water, Visions of Life: ECAG in Kenya

June 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment

This is the second interview for the series Visions of Water, Visions of Life. Today’s interview is with Gibson Munanga. He is the director of an organization called Environmental Community Assistance Group (ECAG) working on water and land issues in rural Kenya. And, let me tell you, Gibson is one busy director. He works as a teacher at a school for the deaf. Somehow he still manages to find time to dream-up ideas, organize work parties, and implement a variety of projects to ensure water and land sustainability in his village.

Gibson and Kids
Above Photo: Gibson and students at Kakamega School for the Deaf.

Your organization originally started growing tree seedlings and working on land restoration projects. Can you please tell us why you decided to direct your focus towards water issues?

Our organization began and is still growing tree seedlings and working on land restoration projects. In the course of undertaking these, we encountered enormous challenges to finding water for irrigating the tree seedlings in preparation for planting during the rainy season. Water problems are a chronic issue here in the dry and rainy seasons. We have not shifted our focus, but we had to approach them [water and land restoration issues] at the same time because they go hand-in-hand. We left water problems to be addressed by ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE GROUP. The tree nursery and land restoration projects are handled by our co-organization called WESTERN TREE NURSERY, SEED COLLECTION, STORAGE AND VENDING GROUP.

What is the water situation in your village? What is the water situation in Kenya?

The water situation in our village is bad. People have to walk long distances in search of water. This mainly affects women and children (especially their standard of education and quality of life). The overall water situation in Kenya is worse. In Turkana, Pokot, Ukambani and other northeastern parts of Kenya near the border with Somalia, the search for water may take a whole day. It takes over a year for these places to receive rains, which may last only a week or luckily a month. This type of rainfall pattern can not support crop growth or open-water systems. It is rocky and expensive to drill for water in these areas. The water is very deep.

What do you believe is the solution to improve the water situation in your village?

The solution to improve the water situation in our village is to strategically situate boreholes in central places where water can be used easily by families. In addition, many trees were destroyed in most water catchments over twenty years ago. Water-catchment friendly trees should be planted in those areas because many small streams and rivers have dried up. The range of climate and rainfall in our village allows for rainwater harvesting. Provision of water-harvesting tanks would help to solve water problems here. Provision of water lorry tankers [see picture below] would help provide water to people during extreme water shortage events for a small fee.

Lorry Tanker
Above Photo: This is the type of water tanker that ECAG would like for their community.

Do you talk about water issues with your students at the school for the deaf? What do the children believe is the solution to improve the water situation in your village?

[The students are deaf so they wrote their answers on a chalkboard. Mr. Munanga took pictures of their answers with a camera. Please see the forthcoming post called Kakamega Youth Talk About Water Problems in Kenya.]

Has ECAG completed any significant water projects?

Six years ago ECAG constructed a very successful water project [well] at Alfred Amulyoto’s home (in Kambiri in the Kakamega District) to serve neighboring communities. Community members agreed to maintain the well pump through small donations. We constructed another successful water project [well] at Emily’s home (in Sichirayi) with the help from neighboring homes. Another water project [well] was constructed at Mr. Peter Matwanga’s home (in Khayega Village) which services a big homestead and 15 nearby homes.

What are a few other non-water projects that ECAG has completed?

We are producing tree-seedlings for planting in water-catchment areas. We are propagating medicinal trees for blood purification, stomach problems, malaria treatment, and other ailments. We are propagating fruit trees to alleviate hunger and provide vitamins, and we are propagating trees for firewood. In a nut-shell, trees are very much related to water, environmental issues and rainfall-storage quantity.

What is your advice for future generations on water?

My advice for future generation on water issues would be to conserve water and use it wisely, protect all water sources, and plant trees. Every drop of water counts!

For more information on the projects of ECAG or if you would like to make a donation, please visit the ECAG website here.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: NGO · activism · africa · agriculture · community · drinking water · groundwater · water availability · water management
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Are you ready for a global-water multimedia adventure?

June 14, 2009 · 2 Comments

Already today, I have been able to visit people and places in Yemen, India, Mexico, Niger, and Kenya to learn more about local and global water issues. How, you may ask? Easy, I reply – The Water Channel.

The Water Channel is a partnership between MetaMeta Communications, UNESCO-IHE, Cap-Net and Nymphaea. It compiles videos from around the world on water topics ranging from Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) to watershed education and outreach.

The Water Channel Logo

My favorite videos so far include -

Water is a Gift: An artful, short animation about water produced by the Natural Water Resources Authority in Yemen (complete with English subtitles). This animation juxtaposes drawings and digital video to talk about the significance of groundwater and drip irrigation in Yemen.

Tears (Lagrimas): A short “fictional” film about a young girl wistful for the days when she was able to access water at a local water source. This video has no words, only images, and was shown at fourth World Water Forum in Mexico.

Kenya: What Water Means to Me: One teacher at Karen ‘C’ Primary School in Kenya documents her students’ views on water. These students discuss the role of H20 in their daily lives: water shortages at school, water shortages at home, water-borne illnesses, and possible solutions to these water problems.

If you want to see others, visit the 164 videos (and counting) at The Water Channel website.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: activism · animation · art · community · film · united nations · water availability
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Visions of Water, Visions of Life: Jessica Varin

June 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment

This is the first interview for a new series that will be hosted on Water for the Ages called Visions of Water, Visions of Life. This interview series will feature people from around the world interacting with water on multiple scales: technological, cultural, social, political, spiritual, and aesthetic.

For this interview, I am pleased to introduce Jessica Varin. Jessica is a senior at Oregon State University majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering. We first met during our International Water Resources Management class taught by Dr. Aaron Wolf (known best for his work on global water conflict management). Near the beginning of the quarter, she asked me to contribute to a journal she was putting together to document the different ways that people in our community view water. She asked each contributor to draw, write, paint, or otherwise express their interactions with water. Recently, she presented these journal contributions of over forty-nine adults and children to our class. The results showed that each person – no matter their race, ethnicity, creed, or age – interacted with water in a unique way but there were unifying themes. To me, this project reiterated the beauty and sanctity of water. I would like to share her story with you.

Can you please tell us a little bit about your project?

I asked people in my community a simple, complex question: What does water mean to you? Participants in the project drew, painted, wrote, and explored their answers in a collaborative art journal.

What made you want to start compiling this journal? And what first led to your interest in the field of water?

I’ve been working on personal art journals or sketchbooks for about a year. Through 1001journals.com, I started sending collaborative art journals to strangers around the world. I knew that I wanted to do a water-themed journal eventually … the opportunity to get academic credit kick-started this particular project.

I grew up in and around water. Canoing and swimming were a big part of my childhood. In high school, I started doing research work on water quality in a nearby watershed. I had really outstanding mentors and the experience made me passionate about issues surrounding water.

Where did you find your participants? How did people react to being asked to complete a journal page on water?

I passed it around my poetry class, coerced co-workers, and talked to strangers on the street. One of my goals was to get a diversity of perspectives on water.

Reactions to the project were overwhelmingly positive. Some people were overwhelmed by the scope of the topic, others dove right in and started drawing or writing. I had a harder time getting adults to participate. Many adults insisted that they weren’t artists; not one child refused a crayon.

What were some of the overarching themes that you found among the journal contributions?

My goal was to see if there was a cohesive ethic of stewardship with regard to water in my community. Many people associated water with intangibles. Beauty, life, and spiritual connection were among the things that participants found meaning in.

Do you feel that this type of project could influence the future of watershed management?

The creation of policy is often values-driven as much as it is economically-driven. We continue to be bound by right and wrong as well as the bottom line. Several of the participants expressed values in their artwork that water cannot be quantified. These values are often overlooked in traditional cost-benefit analysis. It’s easier to ignore what does not fit into a matrix. To reach the next level, watershed management efforts will need to incorporate these values.

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All photos were taken by Assistant Professor Wang Zhijian from the School of Law at Hohai University in Nanjing, China. He runs a blog on international water law called International Rivers & International Relations. So, if you know Chinese, you might check out his blog here. And, if you would like to contact Jessica to learn more about this neat project, please e-mail her here.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: activism · art · community
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Charity Water – PSA-a-thon Installment Series

May 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Alright, here is another Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the series. This PSA was created by the organization Charity Water to raise money for water supply projects in Africa.

Now, my professor Aaron Wolf at Oregon State University might be a little dismayed by the references to war and water in this PSA (actually, he has found that only one war has ever occurred because of water), but nevertheless it shows how multimedia can be used to support water projects in other countries.

The other four PSAs in the series cover rainwater harvesting in India, the LA Tap Project, a water conservation campaign in Denver, and the Tap Project 2009.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: africa · drinking water · film · groundwater · outreach · water and conflict · water availability
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Update: 1,500 Farmers Commit Suicide in India

May 5, 2009 · 2 Comments

Recently, I drafted a post on a mass-suicide event (because of drought, dropping water levels, related crop failure, and mounting farm debt) in the state of Chhattisgarh based on news reports in the Belfast Telegraph, the Daily Times, and Alternet. Update: this event was not a mass-suicide as defined in these news reports. Rather – and no better – 1,500 farmers committed suicide in 2007 in the state of Chhattisgarh.

Here is a portion of Mallika Chopra’s update:

“According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, 182,936 Indian farmers have committed suicide between 1997 -2007. It estimates 46 Indian farmers kill themselves every day – that is, roughly one suicide every 30 minutes. An estimated 16,625 farmers across India killed themselves in 2007, the last year that was reported. The numbers are horrifying, and they indicate the sense of despair that the poorest people in the world are facing today.”

And here is a post by Vandana Shiva called From Seeds of Suicide to Seeds of Hope: Why Are India Farmers Committing Suicide and How Can We Stop This Tragedy?

→ 2 CommentsCategories: activism · agriculture · india · update
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Integrated Lake Conservation in India: Umiam Lake

April 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Dropping water levels in Umiam (Barapani) Lake in the state of Meghalaya in northeast India are causing tension among competing water users. This lake was constructed as a reservoir for a hydroelectric project in the 1960s. It (and associated tributaries) provides water for power generation, agriculture, drinking water, and recreation.

Not only does this lake face dropping water levels – 39 feet over the last three years, to be exact – water pollution is also becoming a serious problem. Untreated sewage flows into the lake from streams and rivers that pass through the capital city of Shillong. Increased sediment enters the lake resulting from urban sprawl in Shillong. Construction of roads and buildings in the city cause soil erosion. And, because of the urban sprawl, poor farmers must change cultivation patterns which is also leading to rapid soil erosion. Lake problems are compounded by the fact that numerous stakeholders are responsible for different areas of management.

So, what is the solution?

One organization called People’s Learning Centre believes that bringing stakeholders together to plan integrated approaches for lake-water management might be the answer.

On March 9 and 10, 2009, they hosted a conference (with the support of Arghyam) in Shillong to allow various stakeholders to discuss conservation strategies. Videos and presentations are now available on the India Water Portal.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: activism · integration · lakes · water management
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New Water Books and Films for Earth Day

April 22, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Wow, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all of the great water books and films coming out these days. Today – for Earth Day 2009 – I have tried to compile a few recent or upcoming releases around the globe.

BOOKS

Recipe for Water by Gillian Clarke
(release date – May 1, 2009)

recipe-for-water

Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What To Do About It by Robert Glennon
(release date – May 10, 2009)

unquenchable

Poisoned Spring: The EU and Water Privatization by Kartika Liotard and Steven P. McGiggen
(release date – May 12, 2009)

ps

FILMS

Life is Water by Jen Warren

Poisoned Waters by PBS Frontline

Tapped by Stephanie Soechtig

Working with Water by Ecover and Water Aid

→ Leave a CommentCategories: general

It’s Hip to be H20

April 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment

That’s right. Water IS cool.

It’s essential for life. Our bodies are 50 percent to 75 percent water. The earth is around 72 percent water. There’s even water in outer space. Water is able change from a liquid (for example, a puddle, a river, or a lake) to a solid (ice) to a gas (water vapor). Okay, have I convinced you of the awesomeness of water yet? If not, watch this animation (via the Akvo Blog). You might change your mind.

Shhh, don’t tell anyone. This is also an advertisement for a bottled water company. Errggghh – no comment. Okay, two comments. Tap water is better for the planet than bottled water. And maybe I’ll put this neat animation on the EnviroMedia Greenwashing Index, too.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: general

Schools Water Portal for Students, Teachers, and Everyone Else

March 25, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The new Schools Water Portal website promises to be one of the most comprehensive, progressive, and exciting compendium of free resources available for teaching about water. The website provides materials for students, teachers, principles, and schools. Others are encouraged use the materials, too.

For example, how many schools do you know about in the United States with rainwater harvesting systems? Among other things, this website provides basic information on rainwater harvesting in schools in India. Arghyam, the founding organization, says:

The portal contains several colourful presentations, plays, debate topics, quizzes, water stories,  fun water science, and more all with water as the focal theme. The busy teacher could use these for enlivening the class or to teach better a difficult topic. All these materials follow the set syllabus and are for free download.

The high caliber of this web resource is not surprising. Arghyam previously developed the India Water Portal and the India Sanitation Portal websites.

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Happy World Water Day!

March 22, 2009 · 3 Comments

Don’t forget, it’s World Water Day. The first World Water Day was originally declared by the United Nations General Assembly on March 22, 1993. This annual designation is meant to focus international attention on global water problems and solutions.

Each World Water Day is assigned a unique theme. The theme for today is “Shared Waters – Shared Opportunities” to recognize the importance of understanding transboundary surface water and ground water sources (waters that span two or more political boundaries). There are at least 263 transboundary rivers basins (surface water) and 273 transboundary aquifers (ground water) in the world. Over 40 percent of all people on the planet live in international river basins.

In honor of World Water Day, I’ve watched the video called River of War, River of Life: The Fate of the Nile by Luciana Capretti on the World Water Day website.

River of War, River of Life: The Fate of the Nile
Posted to Live Earth Video by andy on March 09, 2009

This short film describes water problems encountered by the ten countries that lie within the Nile River Basin from the headwaters to the delta. Problems in the basin include dam construction, rapid development, political conflicts regarding water sources, dropping water levels, diminishing aquatic species, and watershed deforestation. Much of the film focuses on Uganda’s efforts at curtailing these problems with policy solutions. Yet, all of the countries in the Nile River Basin seem to poised to draft an accord for the fair use of the waters of the Nile under the Nile Basin Initiative. Overall the film was a bit Western-centric in view, but with astonishing imagery and important information nonetheless.

Author’s Postscript: Daniel Collins, author of the water blog Cr!key Creek, has compiled all water blog posts that focus on transboundary water and World Water Day. Be sure to check out his website to read other interesting posts on similar topics.

→ 3 CommentsCategories: activism · film · groundwater · united nations
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