Archive for water sanitation

Far too often when I write about environmental issues where it seems we are highlighting new causes for concern and the negative impact that we are having on our planet. Whilst I feel obliged to share the stories that spotlight new reports and concerns it’s not often enough that I find some truly good news that I feel like shouting about. Today however is an exception to the rule and goes to show what new standards can accomplish in reviving the habitat for some of our fellow species and our overall environment, even in the heart of a huge city.

I grew up in rural England and was lucky enough to be surrounded by fields and streams that were essentially the picture postcard of the English countryside. My grandparents lived in London and every summer I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks with them to explore the city and all that it had to offer including a very large and dirty river, I guess I caught a bug to return to the town and it’s exactly where I headed when old enough to do so. Through the centre of London flows the River Thames, the ancient base for the city which helped it grow so rapidly through the centuries. Growing up the older generation would tell you about how the big brown river was dead and toxic and how any romance of the visible aspects of the river were lost in the fact that it was so heavily polluted. It really was the colour of mud and unless you were many miles up the river towards Oxford the likelihood of finding much wildlife in or on the water wasn’t terribly high. A new report however by the environment agency in the UK shows that the old river has is changing  rapidly and for the good in recent times.

river-thamesPreviously declared biologically dead the water is now once again incredibly supportive tool wide variety of fish, birds and other wildlife. The agency revealed that river water quality in England shows improved results for the 20th consecutive year as a result of tougher EU (European Union) regulations. In fact throughout the country more than two thirds of all rivers were graded as good or very good under the existing guidelines something that was unimaginable in the 1970s. A full report assessing water quality and wildlife statistics will be published toward the end of 2010, the improvements have been the result of stringent regulations and improvements by water companies, far tougher consequences for polluters and significant changes to industry waste and farming practices in the country.

Much of the lower portion of the river is tidal and record numbers of sea trout have recently been found many miles upstream in waters that previously would have killed them. Paul Leinster from the environment agency added that “Rivers are their cleanest for over a century and the environment agency is working hard to ensure this trend continues”

I wish my grandparents were alive to see the gradual transformation of the “dirty old river” into a cleaner and healthier thoroughfare through the heart of the city but needless to say I’m thrilled to read this report and share it with you.

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Video about Thames improvements

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Categories : Go Green
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While the immediate attention in Pakistan concerns flood relief efforts that have impacted a huge percentage of the land and in turn the population and the lingering impacts on environmental scale may be equally concerning once the waters have receded. The traditional rainy season has been extremely harsh the summer resulting in the worst flooding in living memory causing the deaths of several thousand and the loss of homes for many millions more. Three weeks of extreme flooding has caused rivers to become lakes and entire towns to be submerged underneath dirty brown water, the immediate concerns are of course humanitarian in nature as disease increases while the entire infrastructure of the inner regions of Pakistan is crippled by the flooding.

The crisis itself has grown rapidly over the last few weeks, while gaining a full and proper assessment of the damage is very difficult to compile. pakistan-flood-mapEven while governments and aid agencies are coming together to provide some degree of relief to Pakistan a government report published today looks at the long-term potential implications caused by the flooding and the damage ecologically to the nation. The two highest concerns are naturally water supplies and the impact on agricultural infrastructure and therefore the food supplies for the nation.

Experts are suggesting that this is the worst flooding to impact Pakistan for many generations, as a result gauging the impact is extremely difficult for the country now has a population estimated at 170 million as opposed to just under 50 million in 1960. The pressures on the food and water supplies for Pakistan are naturally greater than the last time such devastating weather impacted the country. The primary source for water in Pakistan is the now overflowing Indus River and beyond the flooding itself is the damage to sanitation and sewage plants caused by the flooding. Even before this event international observers had published reports expressing that the burden on the food  infrastructure and security of distribution was already approaching a crisis level. The flooding can only emphasize just how stretched the food management chain within Pakistan currently is. The immediate aid will hopefully bring a level of stability to those displaced and bring urgently needed help to curtail what is rapidly turning into a major health crisis. It’s the period of time after the flooding that perhaps should bring the most concern. How best to provide the crop assistance, irrigation and sanitation support as well as ensure that food and water can be transported equitably and smoothly into the central region of the country which is under such intense pressure at the moment.

It will of course take great organization and planning to help Pakistan through the immediate weeks but also to safeguard the food and water distribution within the country. The United Nations will take an active role with such planning and we must hope the environmental impacts of the flooding do not bring heightened instability to the country which would be the last thing it needs.

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