Every living thing on this planet needs water to survive. It sustains life. But how can we put a value on something so important? Access to water in East Africa is a critical issue that highlights how water, arguably the most important natural resource, is valued and how truly important it is.
Can we put a dollar amount on the value of water? Watercarrier.org says that the cost of digging a well in East Africa ranges from US$5,000 to US$35,000. Many organizations dig wells in East Africa, providing access to water in communities where there was none, but for other communities they must pay these costs themselves. Besides paying for wells, East Africans also pay to have water piped to their house or village. According to Porras et al. (2001), East Africans pay between US$0.77 and US$1.06 per cubic meter of water. So we can put a monetary value on water based on how much it costs to build the pipes and wells that deliver it to East Africans. But is this really the value of water? For the poor family that now has easy access to clean water this resource is priceless.
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| Courtesy of the World Health Organization |
What about the value of water for health? Access to clean water saves lives. In Kenya, the World Health Organization found that in children under the age of five, 21% of deaths are from diarrhea. Diarrhea is most commonly caused by drinking dirty, unsafe water because families have no access to clean water. With access to clean water these deaths are preventable. Can we put a value on the lives saved by access to water? There are various organizations that are working to bring clean drinking water to communities, and thus improve health conditions and decrease water borne illnesses. According to UNICEF in the 1990's more than a billion people gained access to safe drinking water worldwide. In Tanzania alone the number of people with access to safe drinking water jumped from 38% in 1990 to 68% in 2000. Besides access to safe drinking water, health education is important to teach people about sanitation and water treatment techniques. AMREF has one water project in Mkuranga district, Tanzania, that helps communities establish water funds to improve water infrastructure and dig wells, and provides education about water sanitation, child health, and general hygiene and sanitation.
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| Photo courtesy of volunteerkilimanjaro.wordpress.com |
What about the value of time? East African women and children are usually in charge of collecting water for their family. Research in Uganda by the United Nations Development Program found that households average 660 hours per year collecting water, which equals 2 full months of labor. If these households had better access to water women’s precious time could be spent getting educated, working on incoming generating projects, and spending time with their families. This problem can be solved by building more wells and bringing water closer to those who need it. Living Water International is one organization that recognizes the value of time and is working on projects worldwide to improve access to water for communities.
So what is the value of water? For East Africans it is invaluable. The economic value of water is important, but more important is the value of water to the livelihoods and lives of East Africans. Water can improve education, health, labor efforts, and agriculture. Water sustains life.
Video courtesy of charitywater.org
