“Water, water, every where…nor any drop to drink,” (The ancient mariner).
Water covers two-thirds of the globe. Yet, for many, it’s a scarce commodity. In some parts of the world, to a great extent in Haiti and the rural sub-saharan African regions, people, mostly women and young girls, have to walk hours and miles before they can have some water for their households. Very often such water is polluted and therefore unsafe for drinking. Children in tender ages are the most vulnerable. Reports suggest that about 1.1 billion people (nearly one-fifth of the world’s population) lack access to safe drinking water. About 90% of deaths arising from contaminated water consumption involve children under the age of five.
Have we ever reflected on the extent of impact of such scarcity on the education and development of people? Let’s stop a while on the theme of this year’s World Water Day: “Coping with water scarcity”. Let’s save that small drop to make the difference.
World Water Day celebrated on 22nd March was designated by the UN General Assembly in 1992 “to draw attention to the critical lack of clean, safe drinking water world wide”.
Mauritian residing in Rodrigues, Amanoola Khayrattee (pen name Alfa King) is contributing writer and journalist to La Gazette Mag de l’océan indien and This Week News Mauritius.
Retired, former meteorological cadre, trade unionist and OSH consultant, Amanoola has written for in-house union and other journals, publications and magazines. He runs two blogs since 2007: “Alfa King Memories”, and “Le Journal d’Alfa King”. When he is not reading or writing, he is on a 10+ km daily hike in anticipation of his monthly trails.
Amanoola may be reached at [email protected].