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How the United Nations Millennium Development Goals may
provide safe drinking water for all

By Musa V. Sheriff

rowing up as a young boy I
knew little or nothing about
environmental protection

or degradation. In Canada it was a
different story. On TV I would see Al
Gore and The Inconvenient Truth or
David Suzuki speaking about global
warming. It is then that I realised

that environmental degradation was a
serious problem. I was really influenced
by the Canadian media to develop a
sense of environmental awareness and
concern.

Fired up by these experiences and
new insights, I began contemplating
the environmental problems in Africa.
Among the many environmental issues
that flashed through my mind, the issue
of safe drinking water captivated my
imagination and gave me sympathy for
the many millions Africans for whom,
even now, access to safe drinking water
remains an illusion. Since 2007 I have
been inspired to think about what I
can do to help Africa in solving one

. its fundamental socio-physiological

problems— safe drinking water for all.
Because not only is water an elixir of

life, it is also one of the guarantees of
our survival on planet Earth.

Unlike most African households,
Canadian households wake up in the
morning to fresh water right from
the tap. You are at liberty to choose
between hot and cold water. With
such freedom of choice and without a
broader world view, you are not likely
to imagine and think about what is
happening in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is
a real problem that millions of people
worldwide do not have access to safe
drinking water. Hospitals are filled with
thousands; many die as a result of this
crisis from water borne diseases.

The unavailability and if available,
the inaccessibility of safe drinking
water for millions of our planet’s
population is becoming a global
pandemic. It needs earnest and urgent
attention. As the United Nations
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon stated,
“A shortage of water resources could
trigger a conflict in the future,” and
furthermore, “Population growth will

make the problem worse. That is, the
conflict between supply and demand,
the haves and the haves-not, will
transform itself into a sort of regional
and global civil conflict endangering
world peace and stability.”

Many conflicts around the globe
are raging on due to disputes over the
management and distribution of water
resources despite global efforts to
quell them. For example, the conflict
in Darfur is partly due to the huge
water reservoir that was discovered
in the Darfur region of Sudan. What
is really behind this issue is a lack of
commitment and courage from the rich
and influential countries like Canada to
resolve this and similar water crises in
Sub-Saharan Africa.

It is shocking to learn that our
planet is about 75 per cent water and
yet some are faced with crises over
safe drinking water. Therefore, I would
strongly argue that it is not the lack
of clean water; it is the lack of basic
sanitation facilities in most countries.
For instance, Guinea is a West African

nation that enjoys an abundance of river

and water resources, and moreover, it is
considered “Chateau d’eau en Afrique,”
(French for Castle or reservoir of water
in Africa) but over 80 per cent of its:
population lack access to clean and
safe drinking water. Guinea is not an
isolated case; there are countries in.all
regions of Africa with water problems.
Despite the scale and magnitude
of the problem, together as a global
community a solution can be found.
So what is really missing? Is it the
resources or the technical skills? No, I
am sure the commitment and courage
from the G8 countries in addressing
this issue is what is really lacking.
Thanks to the United Nations,
2008 was declared International Year of
Sanitation, which has gained increasing
global attention. Is that enough?
No. We need more commitments
and courage in resolving the water
crisis, which will help people in Sub-
Saharan Africa to have access to clean
water, a legitimate guarantee of their
survivability.
-»Recent reports indicate that
progress has been made in some