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This girl in Laos knows how important it is to wash her hands and drink clean water
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In comparison to other continents like Africa, Asia may not appear to have water worries. It seems a green place, with heavy seasonal monsoons, tropical forests and lush ricefields.
But a new Australian report reveals that more than 100 million people in South East Asia and the Pacific lack access to safe water and 185 million are without access to safe sanitation.
As a result, an estimated 80,000 children die in this region each year from diarhoea caused by drinking dirty water or ingesting toilet germs.
The United Nations 2006 Human Development Report links water and sanitation to all other MDGs and states that clean water and sanitation are “the most powerful preventive medicines available to governments to reduce infectious disease”.
Of the countries in South East Asia and the Pacific where World Vision works, Papua New Guinea is in the worst situation, with only 39% of people able to access clean water. Second worst is Cambodia at 41%, then Laos at 51%.
One of the first priorities for World Vision when planning community development in these countries is to work out ways that children can have access to clean water and better sanitation.
This may mean an engineering commitment such as a pumpwell or rain tanks, or the construction of pit latrines in areas where sewers are not installed. Education is also an important part of the process, with children encouraged to use toilets, wash their hands using soap, and only drink water from clean sources or water that has been boiled.
A better water supply can also bring lasting change to family livelihoods. Last year, when World Vision built a weir to contain water in Nathoumkhot, Laos, it was an important step towards solving the community’s food shortage.
The weir was to be used for additional irrigation, especially during the dry season, and to raise fish.
“The village has never been able to grow or buy enough rice to feed everyone all year,” said Mr Bounsoi, 44, the deputy village head. “In previous dry seasons, we would look for manual labour jobs or try to sell timber we could collect from our area, but those activities could never generate enough income.”
Villagers are hoping that fish sales will prove to be a stable and consistent source of income.
“We plan to sell the fish at the market and use some of the proceeds to create a village fund,” said Mr. Bounsoi. The Village Fund will provide community members with small low-interest loans for emergencies or to set up a small business.
Download report (pdf, 1.4mb):
Getting the basics right: Water and Sanitation in South East Asia and the Pacific
