Drinking Water

Abstract

This chapter examines the ongoing global struggle to supply potable drinking water to the world's population. The chapter begins with a brief history of 20th century efforts to expand drinking water supply but argues that these efforts only resulted in partial successes. This was due to rapid demographic growth and to a dominant understanding of water scarcity as a technical problem to be solved through centralized engineering works. This paradigm is being challenged in the 21st century by an understanding of water as enmeshed in a hydrosocial cycle where social elements-including politics and economics-are intrinsic to the successful expansion of drinking water supply. Yet many issues remain, including (1) multiple kinds of water scarcity; (2) competition between different sectors; and (3) contestations surrounding cost recovery, commodification, and privatization. The chapter concludes with a discussion of water's future governance. People are no longer waiting for drinking water supplies to expand but are contesting water's meaning and engaging in participatory resistance to modes of water supply that undermine the human right to water.

Technico-economic Study of the Electrical Part of Drinking Water Supply System in the Village of Garin Maigari, Niger Center

“…But they're still waiting for that promise to become a reality. They are waiting for this larger project, but they are also waiting daily for the water collection pipes in public standpipes [3], for intermittently supplied water to come out of household taps [4], for water to be discharged into canals [5] and for groundwater to flow slowly to dug wells and tubewells [6,7]. This waiting disproportionately affects women, who bear primary responsibility for meeting household water needs, and children, who do much of the waiting and collecting alongside their mothers [8,9,10,11,12].…”

Determinants of overweight and obesity among adolescents in Zimbabwe: A scoping review

“…On the other hand, a rapid nutrition transition characterized by a shift from staple foods towards an energy-dense diet is occurring alongside urbanization 6 . The changing food systems in urban areas result in easy access to ultra-processed foods and a general shift from traditional cuisine and active lifestyles 7 . Although Zimbabwe has not been spared from these effects of obesity and associated non-communicable diseases 8 , less effort has been placed on addressing overweight and obesity, especially among adolescents.…”