Nearly a third of Nigerians don’t have access to a basic supply of water. This is partly because of loopholes in a law: Access to clean water is a major issue in Nigeria. Getty Images Water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are essential for health and welfare. Providing them is one of the core duties of …
Fault Finding: Your New Water Meter Keypad Pairs but Doesn’t accept Tokens or Water Availability Requests: The standard Amanzi Prepaid Water Meter that we see on many thousands of properties in South Africa has been around for a number of years. Black Prepaid Water Meter UIU (keypad) With Replaceable Batteries The Water Meter unit is …
Renationalising Thames Water would be a gamble – but there is another way to help clean up the industry: Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock The privatisation of water companies in England and Wales was supposed to bring efficiency and investment to a vital sector that had been starved of public funding. But since 1989, the industry has failed to …
How Thames Water came to be flooded with debt – and what it means for taxpayers: Filipchuk Maksym/Shutterstock Thames Water is reportedly on the brink of collapse. The UK’s largest water company, well known for its high levels of water leakage, sewage spills, executive pay and dividend payments, now appears to be flooded with debts …
Cholera: vaccines can stop the spread, but the biggest deterrent is clean water: A member of the Syria Immunization Team holding cholera vaccinations. Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Images South Africa has experienced outbreaks of cholera since January. The worst was in May in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, where nearly 30 people died. Cholera is …
Here’s how much water it takes to make a serving of beef – and why where it comes from is so important: Adrian Williams, Author provided Almost everything we eat has consumed water somewhere in the process of being made and processed. But beef is credited with one of the biggest water footprints. Our calculations …
The curious history of London’s public drinking water fountains: Stephen Denness/Shutterstock Drinking fountains are a common sight in London today, but they’re a relatively recent addition to the city. Until the mid-19th century, Londoners quenched their thirst by supping beer in pubs rather than guzzling water on the streets. As temperatures heat up, it’s a …
Five ways to know if a river is polluted – and whether it’s safe to go in the water: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock England’s rivers are in a mess. Just 14% are in good ecological condition – and that’s just the ones that are regularly assessed. There are many reasons for this. They include growing pressure …
Water quality in South Africa: reports show what needs to be fixed, and at what cost: Michele Spatari /AFP via Getty Images The citizens of Hammanskraal, a small town north of South Africa’s capital, Tshwane, have been dealing with the deaths of 23 residents from cholera since 23 May 2023. Tests to find the source …
South Africa’s drinking water quality has dropped because of defective infrastructure and neglect – new report: The report shows decline in the status of the country's water supply. Michele Spatari / AFP via Getty Images A report released by the South African government paints a grim picture of the country’s water resources and water infrastructure …
Cold water therapy: what are the benefits and dangers of ice baths, wild swimming and freezing showers?: Immersion in cold water is definitely an activity that divides people – some love it others hate it. But many now practice it weekly or even daily in the belief that it’s good for their mental and physical …
Billions still lack access to safe drinking water – this is a global human rights catastrophe: The village well in Mchinji, Malawi. Just 37% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa will be using safely managed drinking water by 2030. Melissa Cooperman/IFPRI/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Leaders and authorities recently gathered in New York for the first UN …
Hundreds of rivers and lakes cross international borders – countries need to commit to sharing the water: The Daube in Serbia, country six of ten. Mita Stock Images The Danube River starts in Germany and eventually flows into the Black Sea some 2,850 kilometres and ten countries later. If Germany were to dam or pollute …
Water scarcity on Nigeria’s coast is hardest on women: 6 steps to ease the burden: Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images Imagine waking up before dawn every day to fetch water for your family. You trek to the nearest water source, miles away, with only a jerrycan to carry the precious liquid. You brave scorching heat …
Africa’s aquifers hold more than 20 times the water stored in the continent’s lakes, but they aren’t the answer to water scarcity: Giordano Cipriani/Getty Images Discoveries of aquifers – underground earth formations that hold water – often create excitement around their ability to ease water scarcity in a region. For instance, about 10 years ago …
Water has long been used as a tactical weapon in warfare – the world now has a chance to end this: Experts and leaders will soon come together in their thousands at the first UN conference dedicated to water in nearly half a century. At the conference, which begins on March 22 in New York, …
From waste to clean water: tiny carbon particles can do the job: Clean water is in short supply around the world. But it doesn't have to be. borgogniels/Getty Images Many futuristic novels and films have explored what the world might look like without water. But water scarcity isn’t a problem for the far-off future: it’s …
Rainforests pump water round the tropics – but the pulse of this heart is weakening: Jack-Sooksan/Shutterstock Tropical forests are often referred to as the “lungs of the world”, describing the way their trees exchange gases with the atmosphere. By “breathing in” carbon dioxide and “breathing out” oxygen during photosynthesis, tropical forests remove about 15% of …