Mulday Mondays: Day Zero in Cape Town, South Africa

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.
”

— Handwashing

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

If you had to walk a mile for a jug of water every day, as millions of people do, it's unlikely you'd use that precious water to bathe. Young entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane tells the amazing, funny story of how he invented a cheap, clean and convenient solution: DryBath, the world's first bath-substituting lotion.

Want to know more about his products?

See you next  Mulday

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Muldays Mondays: G.W.A.S.H, POOP & ENERGY

“G.W.A.S.H.-Global Water Sanitation and Hygiene”

— Water & Cassava

In September we touched on W.A.S.H and the Finances behind W.A.S.H are a bit complicated

G.W.A.S.H.- ASIA IN NUMBERS

BRIEF TOILET PAPER HISTORY

“The Chinese were using toilet paper as early as the 6th Century?”

— Water & Cassava tries to avoid HI-STORY and Eurocentricity

HERE ARE THE MANY WAYS SOME WIPED THEIR ARSES?
 

“Wealthy Romans -Wool, Rosewater

Public Restrooms in Ancient Rome- A sponge soaked in salt water, on the end of a stick

Middle Ages – Hayballs

Viking Age/England- Discarded sheep and lambs wool

Hawaiians – Coconut Shells

Eskimos – Snow and Tundra moss

India – Left hand and Water

Sailors from Spain/Portugal – Frayed end of an old anchor line

Medieval Europe- Straw, Hay, Grass

United States – Corn Cobs, Mussel Shell, Leaves”

— Toilet Paper World

This picture depicts LUXURY. I am not speaking of the décor and lightening. The luxury is the access to a flushing toilet. They can walk in this space with socks, house slippers or bare feet and they are still going to comfortably take a nice poop. The person that walks into this bathroom will not work on their toes, trying not to touch anything or not do the #1, #2 and #3 at the same time because of the odor. This is also the last part of this blog that might not make you want to puke, so I hope you are not eating?

“In Lao PDR, the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, combined with sanitation marketing tools, led to a 32% increase in sanitation access in 266 villages, eight times faster than the national rural average of 2.6% per year from 2014 to 2016. Through this support, 113 villages were declared open defecation free and almost 40,000 people gained access.”

— The World Bank

“In Ghana, to tackle the challenges of sanitation in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), the World Bank is supporting a multifaceted sanitation intervention. The project includes: subsidies for poor households to buy toilet facilities, construction of a new fecal sludge treatment plant, engagement with private sector financial institutions to encourage creation of loan products for household sanitation, sanitation marketing, mobile money platforms for households to save towards the cost of a toilet, support to local private contractors to build their capacity to deliver toilets at larger scales, and other related initiatives.”

— The World Bank

Ancient Rome Toilets. 

“In India, a US$1.5 billion World Bank loan is supporting the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission in its efforts to ensure that all citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation with the goal of ending the practice of open defecation in the country by 2019. The program incentivizes latrine and toilet construction through a focus on changing behaviors and stimulating deman”

— The World Bank

Human Feces for fertilizer, i kind of feel like my life is right here!

I imagine at this point you want to know just how it would work.......

Outhouse, I had to use this in Primary School. #thirdworldstruggles

THE HISTORY OF TOILET & POOPING

“This was brought to you by PBS. You must know, PBS is made possible for viewers like you....”

— Raised on PBS, BBC and SCI-FI

SANITATION

Adequate proper sanitation facilities and the ability to dispose waste appropriately is necessary for overall public health. The results of not having access to suitable sanitation facilities contribute to contaminated water and land that increase risks of various infections and diseases to people living in a community. The inadequate disposal of waste for a community means contaminated food, water to drink and wash.  

Access to proper sanitation improves health, socio-economic development and reduces life-threating WASH related diseases such as cholera, hepatitis and typhoid.
 

“I have had the unique pleasure of contracting cholera, typhoid at the same time. I did the 1-2-3 at the same time and looked like death. ”

— #Thirdworldstruggles

KENYA -FLYING TOILETS AND ECO-SOLUTIONS

Kibera, Kibera, Kibera. Watch this video on W.A.S.H and Pooping

Dealing with Kibera's flying toilets Al Jazeera's Hassan Ghani spends time with several of Kibera's residents examining the impact of the slum's waste crisis and explores the innovative solutions some locals have come up with to tackle the problem.

WHAT IS AN IKOTOILET? SOLUTIONS FROM KENYA

In Africa, 300 million people lack adequate sanitation, causing some of the biggest environmental and health problems facing people living in poor communities. In Kenya, DW eco-ambassador David Kuria's 'Ikotoilet' is helping change that. More eco@africa reports: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/eco-at-africa/s-32686

“In Egypt, the US$550 million Sustainable Rural Sanitation Services Program for Results is enhancing access to sanitation services for poor people in small towns while addressing the pollution of the Nile from untreated sewage. The Program aims at empowering local service delivery and connecting the rural and small town poor to working sanitation systems in the Delta governorates of Daqahliya, Sharqiya, and Beheira in Lower Egypt.”

— The World Bank

GHANA IS STRUGGLING

Unfortunately, there is problem with open defecation and it is costing the Ghanaian government $79 million annually.  This is also costing the country tourism dollars and will be extremely damaging to a Ghana working on Country Branding and Soft Power. This article goes in depth about the issue. 

“In Mozambique, at the request of the Maputo Municipal Council, inclusive sanitation options have been identified for households not connected to the limited sewerage system. This pilot has led to a request for World Bank financing for urban sanitation projects which will promote sustainable solutions to on-site sanitation. Projects which similarly address the challenges of on-site sanitation at scale are either under implementation or preparation in Ghana, Bangladesh, Benin, Tanzania, Indonesia and Ethiopia, among other countries.”

— The World Bank

TOILET BUSINESS IS BOOMING...

The Toilet Board Coalition brings together experts from business, investment, and the global sanitation community through our platform to cross-fertilise experiences, innovate at all levels, and catalyse the growth of profitable sanitation businesses that deliver sanitation to all. The Toilet Accelerator is a corporate accelerator program to facilitate private sector engagement and mentorship to sanitation businesses and entrepreneurs serving low-income markets.

The need of proper sanitation and hygiene has always been a major concern across the globe, especially in developing countries like India. Even today, 25% of the population in India still defecate in the open. With steady urbanization, heavily populated cities like Mumbai, face serious health menace due to lack of proper sanitation.

WHAT IS GREEN ABOUT POOPING?

“One man’s $%^& is another man’s water supply, fertilizer and energy source”

— Water & Cassava

CLEAN WATER & ELECTRICITY FROM POOP-BILL GATES

Bill Gates recently got to check out the Omniprocessor, an ingenious machine designed and built by Janicki Bioenergy, which turns human waste into water and electricity. In places without good waste treatment plants, it could be a real game-changer. Learn more at http://www.gatesnotes.com

NAKARU, KENYA-POOP AS CHARCOAL
 

A company is manufacturing charcoal from human poo and sawdust collected around Nakuru, Kenya. Locals have embraced its use and are using the briquettes for cooking and other purposes. The project aims to help protect the environment and improve sanitation especially in poor parts of the town.

SANIVATION -KENYA

Sanivation provides affordable sanitation services, collecting waste from their toilets an transforming it into a clean burning alternative to charcoal

SIDEBAR: PORTA POTTY

This contraption from America hell is called a Porta Potty. This hell is very popular during summer time in any major U.S city. Ahhh, yes nothing says, let us be in a festival mood as this evil box. Festival Newbies drink and eat all they see because “OMG, this is so good, you have to try it!”.  Then it is time to use the bathroom, I start reminding this individual just how delicious the food was, and I drink my water slowly. I also start to laugh, I mean the laughter that is loaded with “You are so screwed, and I tried to tell you but no, you wanted to eat and drink with your eyes”.  Oh, if you ever visit NYC in the summertime, DO NOT USE! Hold it and walk to the closest place of business because …. Well, I warned you, Cheers!

Until next Mulday!

Muldays Mondays

We are out for this Mulday but will return next Mulday. 

See you next Mulday!

Muldays Mondays: China's Waterplomacy "The OMFG, The Ugly and the Bad.......

Waterplomacy: China's Water Woes

“To understand the politricks behind water security and related topics, simply pay attention to these terms: Economic Activities and Development, Peace and Political Stability, Financing (Remember W.A.S.H?), Ecosystems, Drinking Water, Water Pollution, Climate Change, Good Governance and Transboundary Cooperation”

— Water & Cassava

.... OMFG- The Case of The Gambia  

On May 22 2017, The Bolong Fenyo Wild Life Reserve in Gambia was poisoned by the Chinese owned company Golden Lead Factory. The color of water ranges from pink to red, because of the dead animals discovered in the reserve and surrounding areas. After an investigation, it was discovered the pipelines were dumping toxins to the reserve. The company blamed the local fishermen for killing every single fish in the reserve.
I am sure you can imagine, the local people and government had some difficulty believing this formal response. The Gambia National Environment Agency sued The Golden Lead Factory for violating environmental regulations and for the pollution of the sea. 

Bolong Fenyo Wild Life Reserve after poison

Please click below to learn more:

Now after this, you will think Gambia will be singing this to China:

But in the words of the young boyz from Philadelphia:

As of August of this year, Gambia decided to work with China on supporting and building on infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism. China in return will have unrestricted access to the Gambian market and about the  T word....

“China: Gambia you understand there is only one China
Gambia: We understand that Taiwan is not a country, Please don’t go away”

— Imagined by Water & Cassava

To read more on Gambia not wanting China to go away:

 

...The UGLY-The Case of Cameroon 

Meanwhile down south from Gambia, we have the country of Cameroon. A country that has had the same president for the last 30 years, home to 5 separate groups that wish to take their independence from the country and ninth country to benefit from Chinese loans and aid. 

“The Cameroonian Ministry of Economy signed multiple technical and economic agreements with China worth FCFA 49.4 billion (594 million yuan) for a drinking water supply project”

To get the brief gist of this project:

SPEAKING OF HELL AROUND THE CORNER..

Cameroon is the walking definition of the song above.  

“...Cameroon owes China $1 billion dollars in loans”

— Water & Cassava

....The Bad: The Case of China's Water Security Issues

China has a host of water security issues internally and with neighboring countries. Home to 1.3 billion people, that is roughly 20% of our planet's population. China struggles with access to fresh water but in order to understand the role of agriculture in China's water woes, read this article: 

“Birth Control OR Control of Birth ”

— Water & Cassava

The answer from the China government to water security concerns, is the South-North Water Transfer Project that will cost the government $62 billion dollars. There are some serious concerns on the role of pollution in the building of such a massive project including serious risk to the population. Read below to understand why such concerns are alarming:

CHINA AND INDIA WATER WARS: BUDDAH BE A FENCE

China's attempt to deal with water scarcity has been to build more dams to divert water in regions of the country that lack water. This diversion has cost India lives and over $30 million in damages. Read this article to understand the growing tensions between India and China that stem from water manipulation

Until next Mulday!

Muldays Monday- FINANCES & W.A.S.H or W.A.S.H & FINANCES

Welcome Back!! I know some time has passed, but rest assured there are reasons to the madness here at our parent house, ESE & SEGYE. We are adding onto ESE & SEGYE, a digital platform, known as The Cocoyams. Additionally, we updated our photo gallery, so make sure to visit.

By now, you should understand W.A.S.H, but if you need a refresher....

FINANCES, FINANCES, FINANCES

“There are three major sources of funds for water and sanitation. Taxes from individuals and businesses; transfers such as overseas aid, remittances or market interest rate lending; and tariffs paid by households, businesses and governments. ”

— UN Water (Financing)

This website below illustrates the real politics on the recipients and donors on W.A.S.H, please read below:

See you next Mulday!!