This is an oldie but goodie in explaining Water Security.
CAPE TOWN
In the beginning of the month, we touched on just how close Cape Town, SA was to Day Zero of having no water supply. The imbalance in distribution of water across the region including weak water policies have contributed to the water shortage in Cape Town. Other issues such as failing waste water plants and poor water system infrastructure to treat sewage that needed a major upgrade also made this situation worse. South Africa is the largest food producer for Southern Africa, the agriculture sector consumes about 60% of all water use in the country. This water shortage crisis in Cape Town will result to water stress towards neighboring countries that will also lead to Food, Water, and Energy security towards the entire region.
GOVERNMENT RESPONDS WITH A POINT SYSTEM
Cape Town has officially announced that each person in the city will be given an allowance of 25 liters a day (6 gallons) of water. Yet the public has heard no immediate solutions from the government on making sure this catastrophe does not repeat itself years later. Cape Town has failed to look at the other dangers that come with hygiene and water access.
This is repeated so often in discussions with water access and challenges that face women in global south spaces, Menstrual Hygiene. The inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene for women brings more challenges than solutions and should never be gambled or minimized.
Put aside that poor menstrual hygiene leads to a host of health issues such as: UTI’s (ask any woman in your life just how great this feels), Constipation and a Range of infections.
What do you think school attendance will look like for girls attending school in the region compared to boys?
“Do you know that washing your hands can prevent over half of the water borne related illnesses? Granted the WATER IS CLEAN.
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Inadequate W.A.S.H(Water Sanitation and Hygiene) affects Public Health, Waterborne Diseases, Vector-Born Diseases, Nutrition, Gender, Education, and Disaster Management. Inadequate W.A.S.H(Water Sanitation and Hygiene) affects Public Health, Waterborne Diseases, Vector-Born Diseases, Nutrition, Gender, Education, and Disaster Management. The Cape Town government has been reactive and not proactive even at this moment. While Citizens are being asked to sacrifice their health and wellness, the government is still not working on the real issues.
The city recommends people take no more than 2 showers a week
The city also encourages using the ocean for washing. However, if people cannot flush often, care to guess how quickly Open Defecation might be an issue?
How much water do you use daily? Try this Water Calculator out!
TOURISM TAKES A HIT
It is reported that numbers of tourists are cancelling their trips to Cape Town. You can imagine tourists might not be okay with one flush a day, personal hygiene in the ocean or showering twice a week.
CAPITALIST SEES ONLY SOLUTIONS
RAINBOW GASTRONOMY WITH NO WATER
Cape Town Food Designers, are making the best of no water in Cape Town, by making sure to use only salt tolerant vegetables. This is the type of unique ingenuity expected from Chefs of the “Rainbow Cuisine”. Rainbow Cuisine is the term used to describe South African Gastronomy. This ingenuity makes South African chefs, cooks, and food designers important players in the overall narrative of African Gastronomy. This is also a tool that can be used for their niche Gastrodiplomacy in interacting with other countries that are experiencing similar water shortage issues.
DRY BATH-BATHING WITH NO WATER BY MR. MARISHANE
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See you next Mulday
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