Whiskey is for drinking water is for fighting over 1cm Mark Twain

“Temperature, like money, exists in sufficient amounts but is not evenly distributed” Carl Hubbs General water issue classes: - Too many people to little water: Saudi Arabia - Dirty / contaminated water - “Natural”: Bangladesh - Industrial: Navajo - Biological: Bangladesh - Barriers to water access - Economic: Card operated water spigot - Political: Colorado River - Cultural: ? Surely loads

Nat Geo 4/2010

National Geographic 4/2010

Water factoids 70% of water is locked in ice The majority of remainder is in aquifers that we’re draining 2/3 is used to grow food American’s use 100 gallons at /day World’s poorest use <5gal/day Women walk an average of 3.7 miles to get water 46% of population does not have piped water

The Burden of Thirst shamelessly stolen from National Geographic Ethiopia Fetching water is strictly women's work Takes up to 8 hours a day Multiple trips with 50lb load Burden prevents –Education –Economic development Water scarcity leads to poor sanitation –Increasing illness which increases burden

Failures of international aid Many projects fail soon after groups leave –Nine out of 35 projects function –Complex systems –Social failure lack of trust for pooled resources No oversight

WaterAid Participation involves joint planning and self-analysis Men and women of all levels of wealth involved in decision making Water committees are formed to ensure that tariff rates, spare parts, and mechanical costs are kept at a suitable level Committee of seven, four must be women Train hygiene promoters Typical charge is around a penny per jerry can

Bangladesh 7 th most populous country 9 th in population denisity (2,917/mi 2 ) (U.S. 83/mi 2 ) Low elevation (predicted 50% land loss with 1m sea level rise) Subject to extreme droughts and flooding (1998 flood 2/3 of country under water)

Crisis leads to international response Massive drought 1972 Dirty surface water which was killing up to 250,000 children a year International effort to install 10 million tube wells

20 million currently drink from arsenic wells –Up to 400 times safety limit –Increasing cancer rates –Inhibits intellectual development –Causes skin lesions Alternatives –Rainwater collection –Filtration –Deeper wells the-west-poisoned-bangladesh html

Navajo water use 80% of Navajo families haul drinking water 50% of water sources unregulated

Source of uranium ¼ of nations U, easiest to extract, cheap labor 4 million tons of U removed (mostly for weapons) Complex patchwork of legislation but mostly boundary shifting Mines closed with zero clean up 1979 tailings dam failed releasing 1,100 tons of radioactive mill waste and 94 million gallons of acidic wastewater and deLemos et al 2009

Uranium effects Cancer –Lots of issues from surface U that I will not go into “downwinders” Acts as estrogen mimic Fertility problems Reproductive cancers Raymond-Whish et al 2007

Resolution? Banned U mining in the 2005 However, a new mine might be forced in Churchrock Hydro Resources owns 160 acres in Chruchrock –“ involves pumping a chemical solution through an underground ore deposit to leach out the uranium” – “tends to contaminate the groundwater.” –10 th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just gave the green light start-just-yet

Low tech water sanitation Simple, free, effective

Generally and specifically talk about solutions to the water issues: no water, bad water, and inaccessible water Can we avoid ratchets? How do we increase the longevity and success of water projects?