Water for Africa

Water is the most important element on the planet. Not only is it important for the earth, in general, but it is key to our survival. Leonardo Da Vinci has said, "Water is the driving force of all nature" (Roberts). It is the building block of life. The average person can survive about a week without water (Ogunjimi). Lack of water is increasing worldwide, but Africa is currently affected the most. It is the second driest out of the 7 continents, following Australia (“International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015”). Africa's water crisis is not solely based on the scarcity, but also the contamination of water and what actions can be taken towards the dilemma. When the world was younger, ancient civilizations thrived. The key to their prosperity was water. These people knew their need for water, and the effects from living without it. Even small groups of people knew to settle by water; whether they were lakes or rivers. Egyptians living by the great Nile River, in Africa, flourished. Not all those who live in Africa today live by large sources of water. Many villages are located in or near deserts and do not have close access to freshwater. Some may travel miles to reach the nearest well.

As the climate steadily becomes more dry and warm, there is less water for the ever-increasing world population. Droughts have lasted years in Africa. Areas hit the hardest by drought are the rural areas and urban slums. Millions lack access to this necessity. By millions, "…more than 300 of the 800 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live in a water scarce environment…" (UN). Throughout the years rainfall that usually comes, is coming less frequent. Without the steady supply of rain, water is getting harder to come by. A local chief, in Ethiopia, recalls having it rain only twice in one year (Waititu). In addition, wells are drying up. In some areas wells are