Together, let’s celebrate Earth Day. Because, we only have one Earth.
One home for more than eight billion humans living today. One source for all the food, water and materials humans need to survive. For these reasons, Earth Day, observed annually around the globe, is particularly important to CAWST.
Every year on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated by approximately one billion citizens from all walks of life. It was first celebrated in 1970 as a way to support environmental protection and encourage people to become fully aware of the impact human actions have not only on the planet, but on its ability to sustain life.
Why Earth Day matters to CAWST
One of the most important, life-sustaining things this planet provides is fresh water. But billions around the world live without safe drinking water, due in part to the way we’re stewarding our planet. CAWST exists to ensure that all people have access to safe water and sanitation—and Earth Day offers the opportunity to reflect.
Earth Day, climate change and water scarcity go hand-in-hand
Climate change is primarily a water crisis. The world feels its impacts through worsening floods, rising sea levels, shrinking ice fields, devastating wildfires and droughts. According to the United Nations, roughly half of the world’s population are experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year. These numbers are expected to increase, worsened by climate change and population growth.
However, water can also help fight climate change. Sustainable water management is central to building the resilience of populations, ecosystems and to reduce carbon emissions. We all have a role to play.
CAWST's international partners are experiencing the intersection between climate change and water
In Uganda, CAWST works closely with John Nyagwencha, the CEO of Aqua Clara Kenya (ACK). He explains how CAWST and ACK's joint efforts to improve safe water availability can eliminate practices contributing to climate change.
"We have a responsibility to ensure that we contribute to addressing climate change through the practices that we have," he says. "For example, one of the major ways used to make water safe is boiling. That usually requires trees to be cut down to make firewood charcoal. As this water is being boiled you're releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is also contributing to climate change. So, whereas the act of making water safe through boiling is laudable and a good thing, it has those adverse effects that need to be addressed."
Settie Chisenga is a Uganda-based community health promoter in Zambia. "The change I have seen, firstly, is climate change," he says. " We used to have natural fruits. They don't grow—the trees are there, but they're not... not up to standard. It's too hot. Sometimes you don't have rain in October, November. By the time you are entering December, that's when you have rain. And when the rain comes, it's a disaster. It's too heavy."
In Cambodia, Wanndet Dim is the WASH Training Resource Centre Coordinator for the WASH Skills Development Organization. "We can see flooding and drought happening in regions in Cambodia—climate change is affecting the regions," he says. Often, Wanndet adds, floods spread across areas containing sanitation facilities or where people still practice open defecation. "When there's flooding happening there's too much water and [when people expose] open defecation to the source of water, they contaminate it."
Wanddet Dim guiding a pilot test of the biosand filter sanitary inspection forms in Cambodia (Implementer: Water for Cambodia)
This year's Earth Day, everyone has a role to play
As more regions learn and train about water protection and conservation, there’ll be a noticeable increase in the number of people who can act. And as more people also learn and train about sanitation, the understanding that fecal contamination poses the single greatest risk to safe drinking water will spread too— safeguarding Earth's limited safe water supply.
There’ll be more people like John Nyagwencha, able to offer options for safe water access that don't involve boiling and the accompanying risk of deforestation and CO2 emissions. People like Wanndet Dim will be better able to protect their communities from the risk of contaminated water when there is flooding. And we'll be closer to a time when Earth Day is less about recognizing our negative impact on this planet—and more about celebrating what we have done to heal and protect it.