What We Do - Water

Poor water quality and sanitation continues to pose major threats to human health. Diarrhoeal diseases alone (including cholera) are responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year; 90% of whom are children under the age of 5 in developing world countries. 88% of diarrheal disease is attributed to unsafe water supply, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Poor water management contributes to vector borne diseases such as malaria which kills 1.3 million people each year with the vast majority again being children under 5 in developing world countries.

The availability of water impacts on all aspects of human development, including access to education. The time spent by children gathering water or being sick with water related diseases decreases attendance and enrolment in education, especially amongst girls.

One of Aidlink’s partners in Kenya, the Girl Child Network, has long recognised the centrality of water and sanitation facilities in promoting participation in schools. The construction of sanitation facilities such as water tanks and girl friendly latrines in the targeted schools in Kajiado, has improved increased enrolment 25%. The creation of more gender sensitive school environments, including the construction of girl friendly latrines, have been mirrored by VAD and EMESCO in Uganda, following exposure to the work of the Girl Child Network through exchange and learning visits.

(The water and sanitation interventions are being implemented as part of integrated development programmes which address health, education and food security and agriculture issues as identified by the local communities. These interventions have been successfully implemented over a number of years and the partner organisations are deeply rooted in their communities.

Aidlink recognises that the four partners are implementing distinct programmes in different contexts but all are responding to the needs of their communities. The three partners in Uganda have much in common however, as they are working with settled, rural agricultural communities. The terrain and people of Turkana present unique challenges to the Diocese of Lodwar in working with a primarily pastoralist, nomadic population. In Kisumu, KUAP work with the urban poor in the slums of Kisumu.

12 months into the water programme, almost 45,000 men, women and children have access to safe, clean water and adequate sanitation in the 3 programme locations in Uganda and in Turkana, Kenya. This has been achieved through a combination of the provision of water and sanitation infrastructure in addition to enhancing the ability of local communities to own and manage the water resources. The increased access to clean water and sanitation will improve the quality of life for local communities and reduce instances of water borne diseases.)

The people of Turkana face a number of recurring and inter-related challenges:

• Cyclical droughts and scarcity of water resources
• Famine and food insecurity
• Endemic malnutrition
• Lack of industry
• Poor communications facilities
• Impassable roads
• Insecure borders

The Turkana districts are estimated to contribute less than 1% of the national GDP of Kenya. Though considered as pastoralists, Turkana people practice mixed economy based on animal husbandry, which includes cattle, camel, goat, sheep and donkeys, growing of sorghum, and collecting of wild fruits. 80% of the population of Turkana derive their livelihood from livestock.

In a “normal” year, Turkana receives an average of 200 mm of rain, but in 2009, the situation was totally different - short rains which usually occur between October and November failed and the long rains which were expected in April/ May 2009 also failed. The failure of the rains is a clear indicator of persistent droughts, which are becoming more frequent and now appear to be occurring every 2 years rather than the historical pattern of 5 years. This tendency to more frequent droughts have depleted the already scarce natural resources and exhausted the coping strategies of the pastoralist communities.

The problem of availability and accessibility of water has been coupled with food shortage and animal diseases in the district and the country. The major source of food security for the Turkana is their livestock making water essential to their survival. The scarcity of water forces pastoralists to travel huge distances in search of water, often resulting in conflict with neighbouring tribes. Women and girls tend to stay behind and look after the smaller animals and search for water for the family. Currently children in Turkana are displaying the highest malnutrition rates in the country.

The pictures in this photo essay vividly illustrate the challenges facing the pastoralist communities in Turkana: http://www.irinnews.org/photogallery/Turkana_July_2009/index.html

Photo: Earth pan at Naugereny, Turkana Central – work is underway to de-silt it and to prepare for expected rains in the coming months. A water pan is an excavated surface water storage facility of limited capacity (normally between 5,000 to 20,000 cubic meters). It is constructed at sites where topography is relatively flat.

The Diocese of Lodwar has developed their own and local capacity to create a variety of clean water sources such as boreholes and shallow wells. Rock dams and earth pans are increasingly being used in consideration of environmental issues.

The earth pans and rock dams are part of the Diocese of Lodwar’s Turkana Water Project, which aims to increase the number of functional water points and to reduce the impact of cyclical droughts on the local population by capturing and storing rain when it does eventually come. The 18 earth and rock dams constructed by the Diocese with Aidlink’s support over the last 5 years have filled with water for at least 9 months of the year following significant rainfall and have provided access to water for previously water insecure households. Long term agriculture and food security programmes can only take place with adequate and fairly distributed water resources.

(The work of the Diocese reflects UN best practice on water management which recommend that prior to drawing from underground water aquifers in arid and semi arid lands, the storage/harvesting strategies for surface and rainwater need to be addressed. Reflecting an increased awareness about environmental degradation and global warming, the Diocese is now increasing efforts for use of surface water in order to save the underground water, and to provide for animal farming and tree planting around the dam area and Turkana at large. This will consequently increase vegetation cover around the water sources by improving growth of plants, while attracting birds and other animals. This will help in achieving balance in the ecosystem.

Aidlink partners the Bank of Ireland Staff Third World Group and Electric Aid (ESB Staff Third World Group) are currently supporting the Diocese of Lodwar in water and related agricultural projects in Turkana. This is in addition to the Aidlink support for the Diocese of Lodwar’s Health programme, which provides 65% of the healthcare services to the people of Turkana. The health programme is co-funded by Irish Aid under a three year block grant.

In 2009, an independent assessment of Aidlink funded activities in Turkana indicated that the Diocese of Lodwar has had a very positive impact on the lives of communities through the integrated health, water, agriculture and education programmes. Some of the highlights included:

• Reduced distances to travel to water points
• Easy access to water for both human and livestock consumption
• Improved food security and nutrition through agriculture production
• Reduced mortality especially amongst children
• Improved access to maternal health services

Photo: Moruangebwyn Rock Dam, near Lodwar remains full for up to 9 months after significant rainfall.