Promoting Rain Water Harvesting as a solution for polluted water related CKDu (Chronic Kidney Disease) Deepthi Wickramasinghe, Ph.D Professor, University of Colombo Regional Council Member, Global Water Partnership - SA Sri Lanka Water Partnership
Promoting Rain Water Harvesting as a solution for polluted water related
CKDu (Chronic Kidney Disease)
Deepthi Wickramasinghe, Ph.D
Professor, University of ColomboRegional Council Member, Global Water Partnership - SA
Sri Lanka Water Partnership
Clean and accessible water is a basic
human right.
• Yet, water scarcity affect many people - mostly
the poor.
• Experience in Sri Lanka ….
• Can we achieve the SDG target 6.1 –
Safe and affordable drinking water for
all ?
In the rural agricultural areas
• The same water resource is shared for
- irrigate crops (paddy, mostly)
- human needs
• Misuse and over use of chemicals are
common among farmers.
• Thus, fertilizers and agrochemicals are
added to water in many ways.https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=296729&org=NSF&from=news
https://newspunch.com/sri-lanka-president-bans-glyphosate-herbicides/
Village poor have no means of
obtaining water ……
• No pipe water supply
• Impacts of climate change- less
rain fall and droughts
• No option other than using reservoir water for drinking
http://unhabitat.lk/infocus/rehabilitating-the-kovilvayal-village-internal-access-road-in-kilinochchi/
Problem- Lack of safe drinking water
• CKDu has become a silent killer leaving many families helpless.
• Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology
• 35,000 patients
• 1000+ deaths
http://www.sci.ruh.ac.lk/computer/project_1.phphttps://newspunch.com/sri-lanka-president-bans-glyphosate-herbicides/
• Evidence suggests that the disease is related to one or more environmental agents.
• However, pinpointing a definite cause for CKDu is challenging.
• It is plausible that CKDu is multifactorial
• No specific guidelines or recommendations exist for treatment of CKDu.
CKDu
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X17306429
The researchers reveal that there is a strong possibility of contamination of drinking water with high levels of
• fluoride
• water hardness
• pesticides
• heavy metals
• and may be cyanobacterial toxins
http://www.dailymirror.lk/44414/today-is-world-kidney-day--chronic-kidney-disease-global-and-sri-lankan-perspectives
• Kidney disease was the seventh most common cause of death and an increasing cause of death in Sri Lanka in 2012 (WHO).
• Farming was reported as the main occupational/environmental risk factor for CKDu.
• CKDu problem affects not only the local economy and development but also stability of the family lives of the patients.
• Most of the affected people are the chief occupant or the bread winner of the family which drag the entire family unit into a misery.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Landmark-in-the-history-of-Lanka-s-Fight-against-kidney-disease-153090.html
Solution- Rain Water Harvesting (RWH)
RWH: clean, free water
• To ensure health, dignity to all
• To tap rain water at your door step
https://puritas.lk/
• Rain water harvesting is an eco friendly alternative.
• Since rain water does not contain any pollutant and regarded as a clean source of drinking water it could enhance water and sanitation in the affected areas.
http://www.waterboard.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=28&Itemid=272&lang=en
• Providing safe and clean drinking
water will not only save the
comminutes from the deadly
diseases
• but also help them obtaining
clean water from their residence
reducing time wasted for
fetching water form outside.http://salt.lk/water-for-all/
Highlights
• This project proposes to form village level rain water harvesting societies and promote use of same to overcome water shortage issues.
• Members of the societies will be educated why they should not use contaminated tank water and switch to RWH.
• Selected families will be donated with RWH tanks and will be given a short training how to maintain those with periodical cleaning.
35 RWH tanks- schools, hospitals, individuals in
Kurunegala District
Training and awareness
Monitoring - Participatory approach
RWH
Government
Communities
Societies
http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/projects/sri_lanka/detail22_en.html
https://www.gwp.org/en/learn/KNOWLEDGE_RESOURCES/Case_Studies/Asia/disaster-risk-reduction-through-climate-change-adaptation-in-aranayake-sri-lanka-495/
Other benefits
- Attitudes: Willingness to change
- Awareness raising – water sources conservation, good practices
- School children as conservation messengers
- Increased stakeholder participation
- Innovative solutions using freely available natural resource
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Children-Our-future-citizens-156176.html
http://www.searo.who.int/entity/water_sanitation/topics/rainwater/en/
Thank You!