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Safe water, ubiquitous lack of it, and how to tackle this Mankind’s, perennial problem

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 OGBE PATRICK ADAOFUOYI.   (esquire).

 

The world in which we live in, is replete with a lot of ironies, funny perplexities, and confounding realities. Imagine that a great percentage of the population of the people on the earth today, experience regular safe (usable) water problem. And yet, about 71% of the planet earth in which we are living, is made up of water. Planet earth, as a matter of fact, is referred to as the ‘BLUE PLANET’, because it is made up of more water, than land. The earth is a watery place. As already mentioned, about 71% of the earth’s surface is water-covered. The Oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all earth’s water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in Rivers and Lakes, in Ice-Caps, and Glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture, and in Aquifers (such as aquariums, swimming pools, fish breeding and fish rearing holes, aquatic life built laboratories and observatories, )e.t.c Water is also to be found inside human beings, as well as in animals,  plants, trees and tree fruits-like oranges, paw-paw, pineapple, cashew fruits, (e.t.c) at every given time.

There are many oceans and seas that abound in various parts of the earth. The fact remains-also-that un-countable numbers of rivers and streams, as well as lakes are existent in different parts of the earth, in which we live. Water can be procured (drilled), from the depth-and or crust-of the earth, virtually everywhere. Then again, Rain Water falls from the skies above-seasonally-downwards to the earth, yearly. All the snow-flakes and snow that falls to the earth, during the season of winter, in certain, select parts of the earth, are all water-in camouflage. These, being the case, or rather, this being the stark reality about the world, in which we live; one wonders-with chagrin-why mankind (in any part of the globe), is still buffeted-at any point in time-with the problem, or rather, dilemma of ‘SAFE DRINKING, and SAFE, USABLE WATER’.

For citizens-and people that are living in developed, first world countries like UK, USA, EUROPE e.t.c, daily or regular access to potable water, is not really a “big deal” for such folks. Individuals in the aforementioned countries, simply turn the knobs of their taps on-daily, and safe, clean, well-treated water, gushes out for them to utilize as they wish. In this light, if anyone talks about the reality that lack of water, safe potable water, exists in other parts of the world; individuals living in developed, first world countries, will think you are “cooking up” fallacious stories about peoples’ suffering.

In contemporary, 21st century; the people and Governments of the developed, first world nations, have put the problem of lack of adequate, safe potable water for citizens and residents in their nations, behind them.  The case however, is not the same in many parts and regions of African countries.  Africa-like some part of the whole wide-world, remains a continent that is “troubled” with the problem of ubiquitous, lack of safe, drinking water-perennially. For instance, an impeccable source, as at year 2022, affirmed that: “In Nigeria-Africa’s most populous nation, 31% of Nigeria’s (up to 57 million people) have no access to safe water supply, (43% in rural safe, drinking water) perennially, and therefore, it’s a big challenge to ensure affordable and safe drinking water-especially at household level (to the citizens and individuals resident in the country).

Such a statistic is frightening. Frightening, because lack of safe-water, especially safe drinking water, anywhere, always brings about other life-threatening related problem. Water borne diseases easily accrues to people, especially folks in the rural areas, from the act of consuming bad, contaminated water. It is always a dis-heartening scenario, whenever you are resident in an urban apartment-with modern facilities, and you turn the knob of your tap on, and water doesn’t gushes out in response….Sadly however, the picture painted above, is the grievous reality in most African cities, and towns, and communities, as well as suburb places of settlements. Regularly, and sometimes daily, residents and tenants in many apartments and houses of abode, experience the grievous problem of lack of water for daily house-hold usage.

Water is so pivotal to human life and existence on planet earth, such that, without safe, potable water; the lives of both man-and animal as well-will be(come) threatened. Researches and fact finding initiatives carried out, have revealed that certain animals can survive for days without (drinking) water-like the camel. Mortal man, however, it has been verified, cannot survive many days without imbibing (adequate) water. Researches reveal that, living man can stay alive without food for many days. Facts however have emerged that, living, mortal man, cannot remain alive many days, that is, without adequate water in an individual’s body system. The human body needs water-and food-to function efficiently, just as a motor car needs the assistance of Premium Motor Spirit (P.M.S) to function.

Mankind has a lot of alternatives to the array of needs that living man grapples with daily. Mankind has alternatives to meat for instance, as a ready source of protein in modern times. Mankind, also has many alternative ways of communicating with each other, nowadays. There also abound, in modern times, many alternative ways of transporting man, goods, products and animals-as well as food, from one destination to the other. Water, however, is one of the essentials in this life, that mankind has no substitute, or alternative to.

Living man consumes so much amount of water-on a daily basis, such that, lack of water, in any part of the world, is sure to dis-stabilize a lot of network of efficient workings among mankind. Imagine that all the fruit juice, beer, wine, whisky, liquid milk, yoghurt and un-countable array of liquid beverages that mankind consumes-on a daily basis, are all made up of water-to some percentages. Without available water; all the production of the afore-mentioned consumable products, could be stalled-or hampered, world-wide. Liquid medicines, in the form of syrup medications, is made up of water-to some degree (and or percentages), also.

One need not mention the fact that living man needs water, daily, to bath their bodies, wash clothes and kitchen utensils, cook food, as well as wash cars, and vehicles and machines of all sort. Also, global, ubiquitous acts-such as washing of hands before meals, and washing of fruits and vegetables, are all aided by the availability of safe, potable water. Other useful ways in which living man utilizes water-consistently, includes, flushing of human roughages via modern toilet facilities, agricultural-irrigation purposes, (that is for dry-season farming), and hydro-electricity dams. Dams used for electricity purposes are made up of water. Lack of adequate water in built dams, at any given time, makes such electricity dams, dysfunctional.

The dilemma of living man, pertaining availability of adequate water for human usage, daily, is a very funny, but perplexing dilemma. A great percentage of living man and animal living on the earth, lack adequate, safe and potable, water to drink regularly, and yet, planet earth, is surrounded, saturated, and “encapsulated” with water, everywhere!! Consider these weird facts about water and the earth, in which we reside. About 12,900km of water, mostly in the form of water vapor, is in the atmosphere, at any one time. If it all fell as precipitation at once; the earth would be covered with about 1inch of water.

Also, each day, up to 1,170km of water evaporates, or transpire into the atmosphere. Then again, another surprising fact about the earth in which we are living-and water, is this: Of the fresh water on earth, much more is stored in the ground than is available in rivers and lakes. More than 8,400,000km of fresh water, is stored in the confines of the earth. (Most of such water, can be sourced, within one-half mile, into the depth of the surface of the earth, anywhere). However, if you really want to find fresh water, most is stored in the over 29,200,000km of water found in Glaciers, and Ice Caps, mainly in the Polar regions and in the Green Land areas of Planet earth. These, being the case-or rather reality, about the planet in which we are dwelling; mankind-in contemporary times, should not be grappling with the malaise of perennial, lack of (safe), potable water, in any part of the whole, wide world.

In the light of the reality of the scarcity of (safe) water for mankind’s daily usage, in some parts of the planet; living man, via modern scientific innovation and technologies, just have to find a way-or avenues of tackling this un-ending dilemma of living man (and living animals as well). There are many measures that mankind can resort to, in a bid to tackle her problem of lack of constant, (safe) water in some parts of the planet. The first and basic way of tackling the problem of lack of water for mankind’s usage, is through the medium of digging reservoirs-and water boreholes in regions and places and communities, as well as neighborhoods, where there is perpetual problem of lack of adequate potable water. Such water reservoirs, will readily serve the purpose of storing water during rainy seasons. When such reservoirs are filled to the brim with water during rainy seasons; rural dwellers-especially-will be able to “make do” with such stored rain water, through-out the dry season, till when the rains ‘come again’.

The second basic way of attempting to reasonably, solve the ever-lingering problem of scarcity of (safe) potable water for mankind to use, is by boiling available, un-safe water before consumption-and or usage-by living human beings. This postulation is relevant, because the fact remains that, in most rural areas of the world; the problem isn’t really with lack of water-or lack of a water source from which to fetch water. The existent problem, is safety of available water for human consumption and personal –as well as household usage. This being the case; such rural dwellers and inhabitants can procure water purifiers, and water cleansing gems-like chlorine, to make available water, safe, prior consumption-or usage.

A third and very vital measure which can be embarked upon-everywhere-with a view of solving the lack of safe water problem among mankind, is through acts such as drilling holes-into the depth of the earth (or earth’s crust), in different places, with a view of “coaxing” water into the confines of such dug-out wells, and holes. Thereafter, needy people within the said vicinity/vicinities, can fetch water from such wells, and water-holes.

Another plausible measure that can be embarked upon, with a view of bridling the problem of lack of water for mankind’s use, in many parts of the planet, is through deliberate, ameliorative measures by incumbent administrations and governments of every nation. Such a proposed ameliorative measure, could be tailored after the procedure through which, modern man procures necessities such as petrol-for cars and vehicles and motor-cycles, kerosene for cooking, and such other useful products like diesel. Virtually, all the nations and countries in the whole wide world, have petroleum refineries and merged pipes-connected from one region to another region. It is through such connected pipes that petroleum products are transported from one point to another point, before the final product, after due treatment, is made available eventually for people to buy as petroleum products at ubiquitous petrol-fuel and gas stations. I don’t think I will be talking out of place, if I were to recommend that incumbent administrations and governments, (in places buffeted by the problem of lack of water), should imitate such procedures, with a view to provide potable, safe water for citizens and residents of cities and towns, and communities, and indeed nations of the planet, everywhere. What I am saying is that, pipes can be built, merged, and inter-connected to large rivers, lakes, streams and even oceans-the way it is done with petroleum refineries. Then water from such large rivers, lakes, streams, and even oceans, can then be conveyed to “treatment refineries”, where such water can become treated, purified, and made safe for human consumption and usage. Afterwards, people can go to buy-or procure-such safe water from public reservoirs, or public tap-points. This way, the nascent problem of lack of perennial safe water-for living man and animal-will become solved. Via this procedure, incumbent administrations and governments, will also, be generating income for itself.

Planet earth is surrounded, encapsulated, and saturated with so many rivers and lakes, and streams, as well as oceans and seas, and many other water outlets-and sources-for mankind to lack water, anywhere, on planet earth!!

Patrick A. Ogbe is an analyst and public affairs commentator

 phone no: +234 8050324046.

e-mail : patrickadaofuoyi@yahoo.com

 

 

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