The Haitian Water Crisis
“If you’re coming to help me, you’re wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Anonymous
Photo from Partners in Health
The size of Maryland. Nine million people. A history of political instability. Natural disasters. Health crises. A ravaged environment. Severe need for clean water and respectable sanitation. The poorest country in the Western hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Billions have been invested and yet the cycle of despair continues.
What hope can Haiti rest on?
As the United Nations Special Envoy to Haiti, President Bill Clinton has urged the thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Haiti to better coordinate to make a greater impact. One of President Clinton’s areas of focus is their water crisis, as safe water is a prerequisite for human life and the foundation of all human development efforts.
Haiti is water-stressed, meaning that less than one percent of its available water resources are in use. While the potential for groundwater exists in some of the coastal and mountainous areas, the challenge is accessing it. Even today, no Haitian city has a centralized sewage system and there are virtually no water treatment facilities for the general public. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program report, piped water coverage in urban areas is only 21 percent.
Water mafias have sprung up in several Haitian cities, creating an informal water vending market that takes advantage of citizens. This practice is common in places with no infrastructure, and often people pay five to 10 times more money for vended water than they would for piped water.
Despite these conditions, work continues with grant-based initiatives on the ground. We also continue to explore new financing and use-rating models that could bring even longer-term sustainability to the water sector in counties like Haiti.
In light of World Water Week this week, August 17-23, water.org encourages you to look to Haiti and ask what you can do now. Learn. Advocate. Research. Find and support your favorite NGO that is making a difference there. Donate your time and talents to spread the word. We are in this thing together as we share a common need for safe water and proper sanitation. We can ignore it, or we can take steps towards lasting change.
-Erin Swanson, Water.org
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August 19, 2009 at 1:50 pm
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time… But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
-Lilla Watson
Just so you know the author.
August 31, 2009 at 11:52 am
Where is the best place to find reasonably current data on Haiti’s drinking water resources and status?
Jack Vaughn
Volunteer, Living Water International
October 6, 2009 at 2:42 pm
We are currently working in Haiti. Is there anyway we can get in touch with your team to see how we can synergize our collective efforts for the benefit of the Haitians and a better use of donor funds?
If so, please email me at the indicated address.
Louise Makau
Geneva Global
October 20, 2009 at 3:49 pm
How can i get in touch with water.org in Haiti ? There is a group of farmers working together in one of the rural areas of Jacmel, Haiti (Jeannette). these people in the mountain area are in dire need of getting fresh water. The group name Is “UNION DES PAYSANS POUR LE DEVELOPMENT DE LAMONTAGNE (JEANNETTE) JACMEL, HAITI.” their emall address is updljeanjacmhait@aol.com.
They will appreciate it if your organization can help them to get water. I must tell you, they have to walk about 1 mile to fetch water from a dirty river.
Gertrude
Gerjoseph@aol.com
November 28, 2010 at 9:34 pm
hi
November 28, 2010 at 9:36 pm
wht r u doing bob?
March 2, 2011 at 11:53 am
This was helpful to my project