Water Case Study

Question 1

Location and background

Answer 1

Ethiopia is landlocked country in the east of Africa to the south of Eritrea

42% of the population has access to clean water supply & only 11% of that number has access to adequate sanitation services . In rural areas of the country , these figures drop even lower , resulting in health problems in the villager as well as their animals

Agriculture activity is by far the largest consumer of water in Ethiopia an estimated 93% of all water withdrawals in the country are for agriculture use much higher than the global average 70%

Question 2

Causes

Answer 2

Landlocked - no access to ports for tech for desalination and is hard to get help

In 2000 poor rainfall for 3 years —> infertile can’t plant crops crop failure
And wide spread of loss of livestock 80%
—> so they start to slaughter the cattle for food

Which has decreased milk production as well as exacerbated a poor harvest

The lack of rain was due to cooler sea temperatures in the Atlantic and pacific so less evaporation occurred hence less rainfall

Question 3

Nike river in this region

Answer 3

The Nile river and its tributaries are split up between the nation surrounding it . However, today , some Ethiopian farmer are finding themselves without accessing the water for irrigation because of the way of the river was divided hundreds of years ago . As the rainy season becomes shorter due to global warming , the field are becoming more Sandy and dry making it harder for Ethiopian farmers to survive

Question 4

Effects

Answer 4

Many people living outside of the cities collect water from these shallow water sources which is often contaminated with human and animal waste , worms or diseases

Many Ethiopian children especially girls face problems with school, only 45% of kids attend primary school others are put to work collecting water each morning & helping their families earn money

During months and sometimes years of drought disease rates increase in small villages & towns . Frequently there isn’t enough water for people to bath, leading to infection and sickness in children water borne disease such as chlorea or diarrhea, are leading cause of deaths under 5 years old in Ethiopia

Many communities lack such basic supply of water source & simply toilets . Poor roads make it difficult to reach remote villages & low water tables present additional challenges

Prices of food rose greatly due to mass migration of farmers & livestock in search of water and fresh ground
More pressure on places where there wasn’t enough water and pasture
=more death

Question 5

Solution

Answer 5

NGOs water aid - digging wells and providing rain water harvest sustainable low technological solutions

—> ROPE PUMP
-simple technology that can be constructed from recycled parts like bike wheels scrap metals and plastic used in areas where there is very hard rock or water needs to be collected from a greater depth
—> ropes runs through PVC pipe and as the wheel is turned water is drawn up the pipe suction

• > RAIN WATER HARVESTING JAR
• in areas where there is very hard rock or water needs to be collected from a greater depth
• one jar can supply several households with up to 1500 litres of filtered rainwater collected from a clean roof and gutter

GILGEL GIBE dam to store water and supply
- 250m high