
A major reason why contaminated water is spread so easily across Sierra Leone is because of the torrential ran the country receives during the wet season. Because the rain is so heavy and they don’t have the resources to collect it all, floods are very common during this period. Unprotected wells are then filled with waste and spread the contaminated water to other drinking sources.
Even though the country receives so much water, they still have unsubstantial water storage during the dry season. 95% of their fresh water is used for agriculture and farming, but this is all imported into other countries for money. 90 % of food the countries food is imported, but it is all to expensive for residents to buy.
Chemicals used in agriculture production pollute surface waters where rural citizens collect their water. The mining, land degradation and urbanization are all affecting and producing water pollution in Sierra Leone. The government struggles to produce the resources to ensure and maintain water distribution to areas that require clean drinking water. The Sierra Leonean population also lack the awareness for water management and the diseases that surround contaminated water.
Schools throughout Sierra Leone are teaching children how to make their own oral rehydration salts to treat cholera, a waterborne disease that has spread over Africa in the past year. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is spread through food and water, and causes diarrhoea, vomiting and severe dehydration. If you do not receive proper treatment, you can die in less than a day. In Sierra Leone they believe by teaching young girls, who usually fetch the water, all about cholera, the symptoms can be prevented.
Many women in Sierra Leone think it is normal for their child to have diarrhoea up to three times a day because of the moon or the tide, but they need to be taught it’s not the case. Hygiene rates are also very low, the lack of clean water and soap means they are always dirty and this contributes to the spread of diseases and infections.
plants in Sierra Leone and falling apart and some are even contaminated, and this issue needs to be addressed. Aid groups are just focusing on the symptoms of water pollution, when they really need to change the way water is distributed, collected and kept clean.
No comments:
Post a Comment