According to the CIA World Factbook, bacterial diarrhea is a very high risk of death to citizens of Togo. Lack of clean drinking water, hygiene regimens, and adequate sanitation systems are all linked to the spread of diarrhea in Togo.

Giving the gift of clean water is equivalent to giving a child, a mother, even a family, a chance at life in rural villages of West Africa.

BCB is at work building solar powered water pumps in Koussougba and surrounding villages in Togo. Part of  BCB’s work includes educating women on proper hygiene methods that women can share with families and other villagers.

Bringing clean drinking water to a rural village in West Africa or elsewhere is not the answer to reducing mortality rates from water-borne diseases in developing countries.

Clean water projects must be supplemented by a comprehensive hygienic and sanitation framework that addresses underlying causes of infection.

Without a water source, farmers cannot grow food. Mothers cannot cook balanced meals for their families. And perhaps the worst casualty that results from a lack of clean drinking water is the lose of time.

Walking to the next village or to the local water well takes hours away from women who could otherwise invest their time in entrepreneurial ventures that generate income for the family.

Instead, women in rural villages that do not have a clean water source are forced to walk miles for water. Of course, treks for water outside of her local village are very dangerous for women.

Women are exposed to innumerable dangers, simply for the sake of retrieving water for their families. Sadly, the water that she fetches may still be infected with microorganisms that cause diarrhea and other water-borne diseases.

Investing in clean water for rural villages in Africa and beyond is an investment in public health, gender equality, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

Access to safe water touches upon every level of human existence. Training women on effective methods to prevent the spread of communicable and life-threatening diseases is also a fundamental element to ending poverty in Togo and other parts of West Africa.

For every $50 that BCB raises for clean water projects in Togo, the Segal Foundation will match that gift up to $10,000.

There are still seven days, 189 hours, 11, 340 minutes, 680, 400 seconds to help BCB raise as much money as possible to improve the lives of women, children, and families in Togo.

The positive outcomes from investments in water and women in Togo are immeasurable. It takes a village to raise a child. But it also takes a healthy mother, a clean water source, and a sustainable solution to raise a healthy child.

Will you help BCB raise $5,000 by Friday, April 15, 2011?

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Bilateral agreements between the countries on monitoring water quality of the river require a strategic framework based on the exchange of reliable scientific data between them. “Sixty-three percent of agricultural water needs and fifteen percent of industrial and municipal water needs are supplied by the VAX watershed,” said Atanasko Tuneski, co-director of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme (SPS) project in the VAX. This project is implemented by the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC), under which NATO coordinates its environmental security
activities with five other international organizations.

The VAX accounts for 80 percent of Macedonian territory. It provides more than 75 percent of the country’s water resources. The VAX supports economic development, hydroelectric power, and public health in both Greece and Macedonia. Pollution and a lack of infrastructure to control for water quality in the watershed threatens fisheries, biodiversity, and revenue generated for  local economies by tourism.

Runoff from the VAX flows into the neighboring Thermaic Gulf of Greece. Currently, the Macedonian Ministry of the Environment and Physical Planning does not have programs in place to prevent hazardous waste from flowing into the VAX. Consequently, groundwater and soil in the VAX are contaminated.

“Non-integrated and unilateral management of the VAX has led to considerable deterioration of the VAX,” continued Tuneski.

The SPS funds the MIRVAX project to promote information sharing, technology transfer, and peace between Macedonia and Greece with respect to the VAX. The MIRVAX project launched the Recourses Engineering and Administration for Local Development (REALD) Academy in Thesoloniki. REALD is a technology center that provides municipalities in Greece and Macedonia with technology assistance and timely data on the status of water quality in the VAX.

“The MIRVAX project provides a huge database of almost three years of water quality monitoring parameters of the VAX. It can be considered the first step toward information sharing and closer consultation on management of trans-boundary water resources as required by the EU Water Framework Director,” informed Tuneski.

Fundamentally, all levels of development in both Greece and Macedonia are contingent upon the water quality of the VAX.  “There is a clear need for cooperation between Greece and Macedonia, at the central and local level, to exchange scientific data on the status of the VAX,” concluded Tuneski.

Promoting a sustainable use agenda of the VAX can have an impact on other trans-boundary river issues in various parts of the world. Working toward cooperation, information sharing, and technology transfer are vital aspects of improving water quality in the VAX.

Securing the central and local economies that are based on agricultural production, fisheries, and tourism prevents competition of water scarce resources and will ultimately improve relations between the border countries.

Engaging municipalities in Greece and Macedonia on environmental issues that affect the economy can be achieved if partnerships are based on analytical data and objective facts. Otherwise, the VAX will deteriorate, as will the quality of life of local residents, and governmental relations.

The photo above is a picture of the Vardar River.

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Kristin Stroup, energy specialist in the Africa Energy Department of the World Bank, told WaterWideWeb, “The 35 kilowatt micro-hydropower plant in Yandohun was built in the 1970’s. During its few years of operation, it contributed significantly to the local community, and facilitated operation of a 24-hour health-care facility there that served many surrounding communities.”

Yandohun is a village of 2,000 people in the remote area of Lofa County in northwestern Liberia. The micro-hydropower plant that generated power for the community was in part constructed and operated by local residents. The micro-hydropower plant was the sole source of reliable energy for the community since Yandohun is outside of the electrical grid of the capital city of Monrovia.

With financing from the Dutch Trustfund under its AFREA program,  the World Bank is launching a rehabilitation project for Yandohun’s micro-hydropower plant. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

“Rehabilitation of the plant at 60 kilowatts will allow for meeting basic needs and will also allow for improved educational facilities, including adult education which is extremely important in the post-conflict setting,” continued Stroup.

In Yandohun, the capacity to manage an improved micro-hydropower facility already exists since community members who operated the first hydropower plant still live there. Thus, the World Bank is investing in the community’s existing skill sets while implementing a low-cost renewable energy approach. “The community has a very strong organizational structure and cooperative approach, including rebuilding the town hall with pooled funds and labor,” noted Stroup.

Agricultural production is significant to the local economy of Yanhodun. Rice farming, milling, cultivation of coffee and cocoa are all part of the agricultural output of the area. Mechanized processes powered by the future micro-hydropower facility have the potential to increase revenues generated by the sale of agricultural products by local farmers.

World Bank funding for the energy plant includes hands-on training for additional local community members who will learn to manage and operate the facility. Engaging local residents in the development process and use of local natural resources empowers the community.  Dependability on foreign assistance for medium and long-term progress is diminished, which is especially crucial to post-conflict settings as well.

“The micro-hydropower plant rehabilitation project at Yandohun is part of the World Bank’s commitment to the expansion of energy access in rural areas and an emphasis on renewable, sustainable technologies as part of a least-cost expansion plan,” Stroup added.  

The pilot operation in Yandohun offers a prime example of how an investment in a renewable energy source can truly revitalize a community that was once destroyed by war. Before encounters with rebel troops, Yandohun had operational educational facilities, a health facility, and a thriving fish farm.

Decreasing rates of poverty, improving access to healthcare, and promoting childhood and adult education is implicated in the successful rehabilitation of Yandohun’s hydropower facility. Solutions to Liberia’s systemic post-conflict issues should be cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.

Technology transfer and capacity building in rural communities that are not in close proximity to the capital city of Monrovia are crucial to including all levels of Liberia’s population in the energy plan. “Using hydropower for the benefit of communities should facilitate the sustainable development of a key piece of Liberia’s rural electrification agenda,” concluded Stroup.

The photo above is of school children in Liberia. It is a UN Photo taken by John Issac.

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is working in Tanzania through one of its University Twinning Networks (UNITWIN) to enhance socio-economic development in the field of marine resources.

The UNITWIN program is designed to cultivate scientific inquiry and advance knowledge in academic disciplines. In 2009, the UNITWIN Cooperation Program in Marine Biology and Sustainable Development for East Africa was established at the University of Dar Es-Salaam in the Republic of Tanzania, in collaboration with the Bangor University of Wales, United Kingdom.

Dr. Ntahondi Nyandui, Associate Director of IMS told WaterWideWeb, “Tanzania needs to promote the sustainable use of these resources.” Over the past two years, the IMS has worked in Tanzania to promote a sustainable agenda for marine resources. Please read the complete interview with Nyandui below.

EAB: What are some of the most immediate threats to marine biology and sustainable development in East Africa?

NN: Marine and coastal ecosystems are degrading due to unsustainable use, pollution, and effects of global climate change. Degradation of these marine and coastal ecosystems risks loss in livelihoods and a rise in poverty. Unsustainable exploitation of marine and coastal resources is threatening biodiversity. Poverty in the region hinders sustainable use of marine and coastal resources.

EAB: How does UNESCO and most specifically the UNITWIN Cooperation Program in Marine Biology and Sustainable Development  aim to mitigate adverse effects from those threats?

NN: We’re focusing on capacity building for Tanzanians. Obtaining quality scientific information and developing skills would contribute to better management of coastal resources and the marine environment.

EAB: Please detail the capacity building practices that you hope to implement in Tanzania.

NN: Training marine scientists at the postgraduate level with required skills. IMS will be assisted in improving the delivery of existing MSc courses, the development of a new MSc in marine environmental science and climate change, the development of decision support tools for management of marine and coastal resources and environment, and the development of products and outreach services for public use.

EAB: Can you describe how the program will achieve its objective specifically in reference to cultural and societal development of communities sharing the coast?

NN: We already have other programs and projects that deal with outreach and community services. For the current project, research for some of the post-graduate students will touch on issues of societal development.

EAB: What marine resources are unique to this area and why is preserving them a top agenda item for UNESCO?

NN: Coral reefs, sea grass beds, and mangroves are high in biodiversity and productivity in this area. These resources attract fisheries which is vitally important to coastal livelihood in Tanzania. Generating revenue for the coastal communities of Tanzania is largely contingent upon the condition of marine coastal resources.

EAB: Have you established the “Regional Pole of Excellence in Marine Sciences and Technology” yet? If so, please describe it here.

NN: The goal is to build the IMS into a center of excellence in marine sciences in East Africa. The IMS is expected to become unique in the region. Already, its capacity to provide postgraduate training in marine sciences and to undertake quality research has established the IMS as a viable center of study.

EAB: What Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is this project helping to achieve?

NN: The project works on several MDGs including environmental sustainability, alleviating poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality in higher education, and global partnerships in information sharing, training for development.

EAB: Thank you for your time interviewing with WaterWideWeb.org.

NN: You’re welcome.

 Advancing the academic study of marine coastal environments in Tanzania will supports members of the local community to effectively engage policy makers in decisions about marine conservation. The erosion of marine environments has immediate ramifications for residents of the area. Lobbying for national policy on marine conservation is possible if policy makers are presented with timely and quantifiable data about marine coastal environments.

Establishing a center of information that can assess marine sustainability in Tanzania is the first step to restoring compromised marine environments along the coast of East Africa. Statistics and analytic data will provide the information necessary for implementing effective conservation strategies in the region.

The photo above is a UN Photo taken by Milton Grant.

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The Timok River creates an international boundary between Bulgaria and Serbia, and joint management of the river basin is required to mitigate the adverse affects of pollution on the local communities.

Economic development in the region is undermined by mismanagement of natural resources.  Agriculture, fishing and the freshwater ecosystem of the Timok River are compromised by the release of untreated waste water and other pollutants into the Basin.

The Environment Security Initiative (ENVSEC) is a joint venture between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), The Regional Environment Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an associate partner.

Under the ENVSEC, REC in cooperation with UNECE, is currently working with the governments of Bulgaria and Serbia to reach mutual understanding and cooperation on environmental sustainability of the Timok River Basin.

Cécile Monnier, Project Manager at the REC told WaterWideWeb, “The original goal of the Timok River project implemented under ENVSEC is to support dialogue between Serbia and Bulgaria in reaching a viable agreement for joint management of the Timok River Basin.”

Monnier detailed the work of ENVSEC in decreasing security risks to human health in Bulgaria and Serbia. Please read the complete interview with Monnier below:

EAB: Why did ENVSEC become involved in the prevention of transboundary environmental conflicts in the Timok River?

CM: They are seeking to decrease environmental and security risks in the Caucasus and Europe. ENVSEC strives to address environmental legacies of conflicts through strengthening national and regional capacities, institutions and cooperation, leading to concrete investments.

With respect to the Timok River, the Bor Copper Mine in Serbia has been identified as a “hot spot” for many yearsthat would pose a threat to human health and neighboring countries. So, the idea of the project is to focus on the Timok River, which flows into the Danube, and the Bor Copper Mine with respect to waste water and other pollution spilled into the river.

EAB: How is degradation in the Timok River Basin affecting the local community?

CM: Since the Bor Copper Mine started operations, river irrigation systems have been polluted. For roughly 20 years, the entire region has faced difficulties such as declines in population, and in the agricultural and fishing industries.  All levels of the population are affected.  It affects economic development and public health. There is no risk of conflict, but there is the risk of security to human health and steady environmental degradation.

Please watch the video of the Timok River Basin here

EAB: Can you please describe progress in the region in recent years?

CM: Cooperation is built upon the existing national and international legal frameworks. Bulgaria is an EU Member State. Bulgaria is obligated to comply with obligations set forth in the European directives. Serbia is not yet in the EU, but is working toward transposing and implementing the EU directives, in preparation for its accession. Both countries have ratified the UNECE Water Convention that promotes the conclusion of viable agreements for transboundary rivers.

Last year, Bulgaria adopted a river management plan for the Danube River, which is in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive.

The International Danube River Management Plan was developed in the frame of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). All the Danube Basin countries participate in this frame. It’s one platform where Serbia and Bulgaria are cooperating.

EAB: How is your program facilitating dialogue between Serbia and Bulgaria on river management?

CM: Our assistance is targeting capacity building, institutional cooperation and participatory approach, so we have organized several consultations and cross-border meetings. We have also developed assessments of what is being done in Serbia and Bulgaria. In the first half of this year, we will bring experts from Bulgaria to Serbia and from Serbia to Bulgaria. Then, experts can share best practices and lessons learned. We’re expecting it will be a big step towards better cooperation and dialogue. Hopefully we can organize the best platform for exchange and gather real comparable data between the two countries.

Please read a complete overview of the Timok River program here

EAB: Please describe progress toward finalizing agreements between Bulgaria and Serbia.

CM: They are really working toward cooperation. Since it ratified the Water Convention, Serbia has sent proposals for agreements to neighboring countries. These proposals were sent to Romania and Croatia only, but if such cooperation agreements work out, they could be a basis for future agreements with Bulgaria. This will certainly be reinforced if Serbia becomes an EU member state.

EAB: Thank you for interviewing with WaterWideWeb.

CM: You’re welcome.

Since the project began three years ago, both Bulgaria and Serbia have worked toward cooperative efforts in appropriate stewardship of the Timok River Basin. Engaging experts, from both countries, in dialogue about data sets, best practices, and future collaborations toward river management are crucial elements toward establishing a strong cooperation between the two countries.

Securities risks posed to human health and economic development from polluted water sources are not typically associated with European countries. But, security risks related to water exist in all parts of the world. Resolving the negative effects of transboundary river mismanagement in the Timok River Basin will provide the international community with an example for coping with such security risks with effective solutions in the future.

The photo above is credited to UNEP.

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WB is investing in water use efficiency methods and rehabilitating the irrigation and drainage infrastructure in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley in order to promote economic development in the country.

The economy of Uzbekistan is largely dependent upon the agriculture industry. Twenty-two percent of the Gross Domestic Product is produced by agriculture. Seventy percent of foreign trade is fueled by the agricultural industry and 90 percent of the country’s demand for agriculture is satisfied by domestic production.

IJsbrand de Jong Is the Sr Water Resources Specialist in the Agriculture and Rural Development Unit of the Europe and Central Asia Region at World Bank. In an interview, de Jong told WaterWideWeb, “Close to 90 percent of Uzbekistan’s agriculture is irrigated, and 25 percent of Uzbekistan’s irrigated area is located in the Ferghana Valley.”

Isbrand de Jong expanded on the details of World Bank’s Valley Water Resources Management Phase-I Project. Please read the extended interview below.

EAB: What are some of the short and long-term goals of the project?

IJ: The long-term objective of the project it to support key Uzbekistan priorities in the areas of poverty reduction and improvement of living standards of the population, environment, and provision of I&D (“Irrigation and Drainage”) services. The short term objective of the project is to improve agricultural production in areas affected by water-logging, and to reduce damage to housing and infrastructure from rising ground water levels and salinity in the project districts.

EAB: Will farmers be advised on best practices in water use efficiency?

IJ: The project will improve water use efficiency in a number of ways. In the first place, the project will invest in the physical improvements in the irrigation and drainage infrastructure to reduce water wastage. Secondly, the project will disseminate modern agricultural and water management practices to members of Water Users Associations and small dehkhan farmers through provision of training and establishment and operation of field demonstration plots, including pilot drip irrigation, on-farm water management, and integrated pest management. Thirdly, the project will strengthen capacities of regional and local staff of public water management institutions.

EAB: Will this project bring Uzbekistan closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?

IJ: The project directly addresses MDG 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger. The project will do so by addressing constraints to improving agricultural production, As a result of this and other investments, incomes are expected to increase and poverty and hunger are expected to decline. Other MDGs will benefit indirectly, including improving health and environmental sustainability.

EAB: Please explain lessons learned thus far in the project.

IJ: The project was approved in September 2009 and became effective in March 2010. While the project has not yet been able to learn lessons from its own experience, important lessons learned from the implementation of similar projects in the Central Asia region have been reflected into the design of the project. These include a strong involvement from stakeholder in the design and implementation of investments, and the need to combine investments in infrastructure with capacity strengthening and institutional reforms.

EAB: What are some markers of progress thus far? Has the project developed in any new directions?

IJ: The project is currently in the process of launching a large irrigation and drainage rehabilitation contract through international bidding. It is expected that the works will start in early 2011. Other activities are expected to be launched soon. In view of its recent approval, it is too early to demonstrate impact.

EAB: Thank you for interviewing with WaterWideWeb.

IJ: You’re welcome.

The Ferghana Valley Project funded by World Bank is one piece in the intricate puzzle of achieving the MDGs in Central Asia. Improving irrigated farming methods and rehabilitating infrastructure is essential to maintaining the income generated by Uzbekistan from its agricultural industry. Implementing proven methods in water conservation and building water infrastructure will in turn yield a better crop turn out for local and regional farmers. Ensuring Uzbekistan’s economic development and stimulating growth will occur when proper measures are taken to advance agricultural water use practices at the local and regional level.