Transcript What do we use water for? - Engineers Without Borders UK

“Water for the
World”
Water: Who cares + why.
•How long can we live without food?
3 weeks
•How long can we live without water?
3 days
•Really?! How much do we need per day?
30 – 50 L
(In dire situations, like a refugee camp the standard for aid
agencies is at least 15L – Source: Sphere Standards)
•Okay… How much do we use?
•What?! That is crazy! Where does it all
go???
140 – 50 L
Where does it go?
At home:
•Drinking
•Cooking
•Shower + washing hands
•Flushing the toilet
•Gardening, washing the car etc.
Where else is water used?
Farming + Industry
Where does your
water come from?
Why can’t we drink straight
from the River Cam?
• micro organisms
• dissolved chemicals
• Particulates
(small bits)
Where does drinking water come
from?
River “source”
Add chemicals
Stir
Distribute
Settle
Store
Filter
Disinfect
Is this a sensible system?
Pros:
- Good water quality
- Managed supply
- Easily regulated
- Convenient-on tap
Cons:
- Highly centralized
- Leaks
- Taking out stuff
we’re putting in.
Fail Proof?
•North Wales Diarrhoea Crisis, 2005
–231 people infected!
• If this can happen in the UK, imagine what it
is like to live in a developing country…
Quick quiz…
1. How many people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking
water?
a)
b)
c)
d)
100 million (about 1 in 60 people)
500 million (about 1 in 12 people)
1.1 billion (about 1 in 5 people)
3 billion (about 1 in 2 people)
C
2. How many times more water do we each use everyday, compared to a
person in a developing country?
a)
b)
c)
d)
10
30
50
70
a)
b)
c)
d)
2
6
10
12
–
–
–
–
30
50
70
90
times
times
times
times
B
3. As a cause of death in children under 5, diarrhoea weighs in at number
A – source: WHO –
World Health Report
2005
Quick quiz…
4. What percentage of illnesses in developing countries are waterrelated?
a)
b)
c)
d)
10%
30%
50%
80%
D
5.How many people die everyday from diseases related to bad water?
a)
b)
c)
d)
100 - 1000
1000 – 10 000
10 000 – 100 000
100 000 or more
6. What actions can reduce diarrhoea ?
Improved water supply
Improved sanitation
Improved household water treatment
Hand washing
C
Who here likes rain?
Rain = Survival! Not everyone has the resources
and technology to make drinking water like us.
School vs Heavy Water
Buckets
Who most often
collects water in
developing
countries?
Women and children
What’s wrong with
that?
Education for women
Time for employment
Time for growing food
In rural Africa 1/3 people
have water within a 15min
journey.
For 44% it’s more than a
half hour journey!
The Filtration Challenge!
The Challenge
- In groups, make a WORKABLE
water filter
- Each group = country
- Follow the instruction sheet
- Buy supplies from front
- 20 minutes ONLY!
- Demonstrate filter at end.
Where are these countries?
The Filtration Challenge!
The Rules:
- Only 1 person per group buys at a time.
- You can talk and deal with other groups.
- No stealing! – Not that you would …
How does this relate to
the real world?
Activity
Real World
Money Difference
- Based on actual country’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP)
Illegible instructions
- Based on actual country’s
illiteracy rate
- Lack of education and access to
information
Resourcefulness
- People in poorer countries have
their own ways of coping
Countries share
- Richer countries may offer
“Official Development Assistance”
(ODA) to poorer countries
- Countries form groups like the G8,
OECD, or Group of 24
The Real World
In 1970, countries agreed that 0.7% of GDP
should go to aid
Okay, but that was A LIFETIME ago for most of us
(sorry teachers). Surely we are doing better now!
Today, the average is 0.22%
Say what?! What about us?
In 2004, the UK donated 0.33% of GNI to aid
yet UK had the 4th highest GDP in the world
and 10th highest GDP per person
WE COULD BE DOING MORE!
Recognize this?
“Appropriate technology”
It’s not just about giving money and technology…
… it’s about using the best long-term solution for the
problem!
e.g. A Ferrari won’t last long in a desert
(unfortunately)
Thinking about “technology”
more broadly…
Social Issues – Who wins + who loses?
Cultural Issues – Some people see water as
sacred.
Training – Who will fix it?
Cost – Can the local customers afford to buy
and run it? Cheaper to make locally?
Ownership – Are they going to care if
everything is done for them? Is it going to last
long?
What can we do to
make a difference
from Cambridge?
Action
Turning off the tap when you
brush your teeth or wash your
face
Free Flush Saving devices are
available at: http://www.thameswater.com/waterwise
Water saved
5L/min
5000L/person/year
300L/week
But remember a long shower on full flow
can use as much or more than a bath
140L/week
Fix leaky taps in your home
500L/week
You could also help developing
countries!
- Fundraise money for charities like Water
Aid and Water For Children Africa
-Keep up to date with developing countries
by signing on at:
http://www.wateraid.org