World Water Day in a Time of Drought
This month's recognition of World Water Day - a day in which we acknowledge the fact that upwards of 1 billion people around the world do not have access to clean water - is underscored by two disparate events. In Flint, Mich., people are contending with the fact that the water from their taps is unsafe, a predicament that amplifies just how much we rely on clean water in every part of our daily lives. In a distant part of the globe, Ethiopia is experiencing a water catastrophe of a far different kind: another calamitous drought.
Exacerbated by El Niño, two consecutive seasons in Ethiopia have come and gone without adequate rainfall, and the consequences have been devastating. Without the crops that in a normal season would provide sustenance for some 80 percent of the country, more than 10 million people are unable to feed themselves. Close to a half million children are malnourished. Six million people need emergency water for drinking, sanitation and personal hygiene. While the Ethiopian government and international aid organizations are responding, the situation throughout the nation remains critical.
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Exacerbated by El Niño, two consecutive seasons in Ethiopia have come and gone without adequate rainfall, and the consequences have been devastating. Without the crops that in a normal season would provide sustenance for some 80 percent of the country, more than 10 million people are unable to feed themselves. Close to a half million children are malnourished. Six million people need emergency water for drinking, sanitation and personal hygiene. While the Ethiopian government and international aid organizations are responding, the situation throughout the nation remains critical.
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