Entries Tagged as ‘sanitation’

June 29, 2010

Don’t Let it Drop – PSA-a-thon Series

Are you ready for your daily dose of H20 packaged into a handy-dandy Public Service Announcement (aka PSA)? Well, I hope so. Today’s PSA is from WaterAid. It was created to encourage world leaders to make toilets a priority at the upcoming UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in September 2010. Musicians playing at Glastonbury [...]

June 23, 2010

The World Cup, Water, and Sanitation – PSA-a-thon Series

Many around the world have just finished watching the USA vs. Algeria game in South Africa. USA won the match (1-0) and will be able to continue to play in the 2010 World Cup. I’m VERY happy with the final score (sorry, Algeria) but not so happy about something else… During the time of each [...]

April 25, 2010

Water and Sanitation Crisis at the White House

Above Photo: Saddington & Baynes for WaterAid and End Water Poverty. “The White House was given a shocking makeover by international charity WaterAid and global campaign group End Water Poverty. The makeover took place to mark the first ever High Level Meeting on Sanitation and Water in Washington on 23 April. Gone are the immaculate [...]

February 28, 2010

Drink Tap Water to Give Kids Clean Water

As the rainy season wanes in the Pacific Northwest, our water-focused student club at Oregon State University has decided to promote the UNICEF Tap Project. The Tap Project, which began in 2007, is held during World Water Week from March 21st to March 27th. The aim is bring awareness to and collect donations for water [...]

November 19, 2009

World Toilet Day – 2009

Today is World Toilet Day. And – if you giggle at this funny-sounding name – you might not realize the vital importance of proper sanitation. Over 2.5 billion (about 40 percent of the world population) urinate and defecate outside. Open defecation, or OD as it is commonly known, spreads diseases and results in the poor [...]

November 16, 2009

Gandhian Thoughts on Gender, Water, and Sanitation

An eight-hour overnight train journey leaves me waking up just before arrival to Dindigul Junction as the engine rumbles to a stop. For my final field visit in South India, I have come to Gandhigram Trust to see how their recent water and sanitation interventions, funded by Arghyam, have affected women and men in rural [...]

July 25, 2009

My Soon-to-be Journey to India: An Arghyam Internship

Life has been bustling as I prepare for an internship in India. This year, I was accepted for an internship with Arghyam – an NGO that works on water and sanitation projects across India – in Bangalore. This internship is part of my master’s studies at Oregon State University (my major is Water Resources Policy [...]

March 3, 2009

Sanitation Solutions: Three African Entrepreneurs

Most by now should know the facts: almost 2.6 billion people (40 percent) in the world do not have access to basic sanitation (for example: a toilet or water) and over 6,000 children die each day from dirty water and poor sanitation. Yes, good sanitation, hygiene, and drinking water are essential to keep people healthy. [...]

August 31, 2008

Akvopedia: Open Source for Water Technology

The new website Akvopedia shares knowledge of water and sanitation technology, open source style, to ensure these resources are available to more people worldwide. Open Source: (in computing) Of, or relating to a product which is licensed to permit modifications and redistribution [for free] of its source code. – Wiktionary Linux, the One Laptop Per [...]

August 23, 2008

“Wash Your Hands” and “Clean Your Plate” – World Water Week Wrap-Up

Less worldwide food waste and better global sanitation were urgent needs cited during this year’s World Water Week, from August 17th until August 23rd, organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in Sweden. Over 2,400 science, business, government, and non-profit leaders gathered to discuss the “Progress and Prospects on Water: For A Clean and [...]