Living beings need water to keep healthy
a human being can survive (depending on condition)
-> 3-5 days without water (collapse of circulation)
-> more than 14 days without food (could be more than 100 days)
Water and Climate Change
- higher temperatures and more extreme weather
- less predicatable weather conditions
- change of the distribution
- rainfall, snowmelt, river flows, groundwater
- more floods
- severe droughts
- changes in water availability
- impact on health and food security
- trigger for refugee dynamics and political instability
Water, sanitation and health -> closely related
consuming contaminated water -> diarrhoea, typhoid, viral hepatitis A, cholera etc.
low availability of water for personal hygiene -> infections
aquatic environment provides habitat for mosquitos -> diseases like Malaria, Japanese encephalitis
water contaminated with chemicals due to human activities such as industry and mining -> health risk
- approximately 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year
- cause 2.2 million deaths, mostly under the age of five
water, sanitation + hygiene interventions reduce diarrhoeal diseases up to 25-30%
sources: http://www.thewaterpage.com/rivers_regions.htm ,2018;
The United Nations World Water Development Report 2019
Hygienic Strategies
German Toilet Organization (http://www.germantoilet.org/en)
Importance of Handwashing
- Removing of dirt, oil, microorganisms, smell
- Killing of pathogens
- Reduce of diseases like diarrhea, respiratory diseases
- Reduce of neonatal mortality, if mothers wash there hands regularly
Critical Times for Hand washing
- 2 most important critical times:
1.) After „contact“ with faeces (toilet use, changing diaper…)
2.) Before preparing food or before eating - Too many times might be confusing
- More „critical times“ can be added later
Enabling technologies for handwashing with soap
- Store and regulate the flow of water in sufficient quantity to facilitate hand washing.
- Manage or store soap within a household or institution (e.g., school, workplace).
- Bring together water and soap in one place.
- It‘s about:
- Having both hands free
- Regulated supply of water
- Not much to be touched to avoid spreading more germs
The “Tippy Tap” is a simple and hygienic device to wash
hands with soap and running water. (http://www.tippytap.org/)
Living with the climate change
Flood Prevention e.g.
- Rainwater/Stormwater harvesting
- Sand bags
- Flood walls
- Mobile Dikes
- Floating houses
- Infrastructure for water retention
Flood sandbags
Tokio Flood protection
Droughts – Prevention of water shortage
protection against drying and extreme water shortage e.g.
- saving water
- collecting water
- rainwater harvesting
- planting
- recharge of groundwater
- increase groundwater level
- infrastructure for keeping and diverting water
General – Personal Strategies
1. safe water
2. protect water
3. treat water
4. collect water
5. reuse water
More information:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/coverage/monitoring-dwater/en/
UN Water (2019): World Water Development Report 2019
http://www.unwater.org/publications/world-water-development-report-2019/
World Water Development Report 2019 - Leaving No One Behind
http://en.unesco.org/themes/water-security/wwap/wwdr/2019