Haiti

The news covers most major natural disasters. We all saw the story and footage from the earthquake in Haiti in January of 2010. But once the news stopped covering it, the tragedy faded from most of our minds. The exciting part was over, and now all that was left was to rebuild. But what people don't think about as much is what they have to live through while they rebuild. This is a link to a video that shows how the people of Haiti, even though the earthquake is long over, are still feeling the effects of the natural disaster that struck them nearly two years ago. It shows how the millions of people who were displaced from their destroyed homes had nowhere to go but impromtu refugee camps. Aid from all over the world poured in, but they could not stay forever, and there is still a lot of work to be done.

This story belongs in a blog about water because, unfortunately, it is one of the many things that the people of Haiti are having trouble getting. The quake took out what water and sanitation systems they had, and because Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, they are having trouble getting new ones in place. It is causing disease and death among people who have far too many problems to begin with. But the good news for them is that there are still people helping them to rebuild and get access to the clean drinking water that they need. The people of some countries, where the shortages are chronic and not nearly as well documented by the media, are being overlooked.

United Solutions

As I was planning this post, I began to research possible solutions to the water shortage that is crippling our planet. As I read, I kept finding stopgap measures that one person or one community could take. They included decreasing pollution, more water conservative farming, using less water as an individual, and other similar methods. These are, of course, helpful, but most of the solutions that would have a meaningful impact require a total overhaul of the system. And by system, I do not just mean irrigation systems, I mean the entire way we look at, use, access, and disperse water as a planet. The water shortage is a global issue, and the entire globe needs to be involved in correcting it. If each country just takes care of itself, we will only deplete our remaining supplies that much faster. There are many things that unite people across borders, and the water shortage is one of them. Now we need to be united in a solution.