A quarter of humanity lacks safe drinking water

Category: Health

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. dribble / ˈdrɪb əl / (v.) – to flow slowly in drops or small amounts
    Example:

    I’m so thirsty. The water is barely dribbling out of the drinking fountain.


  2. insufficient / ˌɪn səˈfɪʃ ənt / (adj.) – not having enough of what’s needed
    Example:

    The project was canceled due to insufficient funds.


  3. sanitation / ˌsæn ɪˈteɪ ʃən / (n.) – the process of cleaning and keeping places free from dirt and diseases, usually with the use of equipment or systems
    Example:

    Sanitation is important in restaurants.


  4. hygiene / ˈhaɪ dʒin / (n.) – actions that help keep an individual or an environment clean and healthy
    Example:

    Part of becoming healthy is having good hygiene.


  5. convergence / kənˈvɜr dʒəns / (n.) – the process of becoming similar or coming together
    Example:

    The convergence of water and land pollution will put nature in danger.


Article

Read the text below.

In one suburb of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s port city and fast-growing economic hub, many communities find themselves without clean water amid the United Nations’ World Water Day.


Women collect water from streams to meet household requirements.


Water may dribble out of the taps at home late at night if they are lucky and homes are full of plastic containers and buckets to collect it when it does.


Local officials blame insufficient electrical power for their pumps in part for the problems.


“It’s not easy. Some of our kids get stomach infections. I’ve got a pregnant sister currently in the house who has an infection, a chronic infection,” Mrs. Ibrahim, a local resident, said while collecting water.


Transporting and selling water at 100 Central African Franc (US$0.16) per 20-liter container is a profitable business for some.


March 22 is the United Nations’ World Water Day, marked annually since 1993 to raise awareness about access to clean water and sanitation.


According to the UN, one in four people – two billion people worldwide – lack safe drinking water and 1.4 million people die annually of diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.


According to a new analysis by UNICEF, the UN’s children’s fund, 190 million children in ten African countries are at the highest risk from a convergence of three water-related threats – inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene-related diseases as well as climate hazards.


One of the world’s Sustainable Development Goals is for everyone to have safe water and sanitation by 2030.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • UN’s World Water Day, which is celebrated annually, aims to raise awareness about access to clean water and sanitation. What specific activities do you think can be done in your country to achieve this goal (ex. create a clean water campaign online, show a documentary at schools)? Discuss.
  • Do you think the UN has been able to achieve its goal? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • What do you think is the common cause of the lack of safe drinking water in many cities and countries? What can be done to prevent it? Discuss.
  • Do you think your local government is doing enough to make sure that people have access to safe drinking water? Why or why not? Discuss.