AES Middle School February 26, 2015 Water, Hygiene and Urbanization Issues in India
What I Do Consult with companies on their CSR/sustainability strategies Help NGOs be more effective at achieving their mission Help organisations communicate more effectively 2
What We ll Cover in 30 Minutes or Less! Water Availability/Pollution/Sanitation Urbanization My Goal? Highlight some of the key issues associated with water and urbanization to ensure you have a fuller appreciation of them 3
There will be constant competition over water, between farming families and urban dwellers, environmental conservationists and industrialists, minorities living off natural resources and entrepreneurs seeking to commodify the resources base for commercial gain. UNICEF report on Indian water 4
Water Availability 128 million in India lack safe water 90% of water is used by agriculture The World Bank estimates that 21% of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe waste (diarrhea alone causes more than 1,600 deaths daily) India s supply of water is rapidly dwindling due to mismanagement of water resources, over-pumping and pollution There is a lack of attention to water legislation, water conservation and efficiency, water recycling, and infrastructure Percentage of Indians with access to improved sources of water 5
Water Availability Climate change is expected to only make the problem worse Many urban dwellers turn to groundwater, which is greatly contributing to the depletion of underground aquifers (by 6 meters / 20 feet per year) Demand for water is growing at an alarming rate due to population growth and economic development (x2 by 2030) As demand for water outstrips supply, India will face food shortages, and regional and international conflict 6
Water Pollution Every river in India is polluted to some degree A combination of sewage disposal, industrial effluents, chemicals from farm runoffs, arsenic and fluoride has made India s rivers unfit for drinking, irrigation, and even industrial purposes The water quality in underground wells violates the desired levels of dissolved oxygen and coliform in addition to having high concentrations of toxic metals, fluoride, and nitrates Over 21% of transmissible diseases in India are related to unsafe water 7
Sanitation / Hygiene Hygiene practices are a major issue in India 839 million have no proper sanitation services Latrine usage is extremely poor in rural areas; only 14% of the rural population has access to one Regular hand washing is also very low, increasing the spread of disease The states with the highest rates of access to sanitation (except the capital region of Delhi) are the 8 northeastern states and the southern state of Kerala, all of them known for being more egalitarian 8
Urbanization Snapshot Current urban population: 2011-31%; by 2013-40% (low by international standards) Twenty-five per cent of urban India dwells in slums; in Greater Mumbai the ratio is over 50% Of the 180,000 tonnes of urban garbage produced every day, most of ends up in "landhills", instead of being composted, converted to energy or put in sanitary landfills Urban road systems are inadequate and badly maintained. Public transport is scarce: only about 500 out of 8,000 cities have a public bus system Diseases like dengue, malaria, typhoid, swine flu, diarrhoea and respiratory ailments are on the rise 9
Urbanization: Water and Sewerage No city provides continuous piped water Many people get water from the municipal sources for less than half an hour every alternate day Gap in demand and supply of water in four major metro cities varies from 10 to 20 per cent worse in small cities and towns In most urban communities, sewage treatment is well below 50% (In Delhi, it s 50%) Not a single city in India is fully sewered. Lack of money and unauthorized growth of the cities are two major causes In most Indian cities, water pipes run near sewer lines. Any leakage leads to contamination of water which results in the spread of several water borne diseases 10
Urbanization: Where India Needs to Focus Inclusive cities: Poor and lower income groups must be brought into the mainstream Urban governance: Enable true devolution of power and responsibilities from the states to the local and metropolitan bodies Funding: Reduce cities dependence on the Centre and the states and unleash internal revenue sources Planning: Take urban planning seriously; invest in skilled people and innovative urban form Capacity building: Step-up in the capabilities and expertise of urban local bodies Affordable housing: Bridge the gap between price and affordability 11
Poo2Loo promo 12