Environmental Sustainability in Iraq: Problems Being Faced
Problem 1: Access to Clean Water
Although there has been an improvement in the amount of people that have access to clean water, only 70.6% of the population (in 2011) had sustainable access to an improved water source. Among these people with access to the water, only 38% "rate the availability of drinking water as "good" or "very good"." (www.undp.org) The reason for this is the disparity between provinces. Rural and remote areas suffer from a lack of basic services because of their location. People that live remotely have to walk for miles to get to safe water for themselves and their families. There is more than one solution to this problem, but the one solution that could make all the difference is embracing the new technology of things like the Lifesaver Bottle. Instead of having a clean water source that people have to travel to, they need something they can use in their permanent location. The Lifesaver Bottle can take in extremely filthy water and filter it with just a few pumps, and comes in larger sizes also. People like easy solutions, and this simple solution is convenient enough that citizens of Iraq will take advantage of it. Lifesaver Bottles need to be distributed throughout the country, but especially in rural and remote areas where the basic needs of clean water are not being met. |
Problem 2: Sanitation
Surprisingly, sanitation is a problem that exists mostly in urban areas (unlike the previously discussed problem, which is associated with rural areas). Health risks are greater in urban areas because there are more people creating more waste. The solution to this problem is not something that can happen overnight, but efforts are being made to improve sanitation. It is estimated that by 2015 the national goal of 96.3% of of urban and rural populations with access to improved sanitation will be met. This is because waste disposal methods are improving, and health awareness is being spread about proper methods of waste disposal and sanitation. |
Source: [http://www.iq.undp.org/content/iraq/en/home/mdgoverview/] [http://www.lifesaversystems.com/lifesaver-products/lifesaver-bottle]