Water and Food Supply

Water Until recently humans assumed that there would always be enough water on Earth to meet our needs. What happened??? Pollution Increasing population

Water Supply Issues Another problem with water is its location. Canada, particularly our northern regions are extremely water rich with very little population. However many of the most populated regions in the world are in areas that are very dry already, or face increasing risks of drought as a result of global warming.

In many African countries people have access to 10 litres of water a day for ALL of their needs: nutritional, hygiene and waste disposal.

In comparison the average North American uses this much water everytime they flush the toilet. One load of laundry uses 120 L Most of our industries also use tremendous amounts of water to produce all of our STUFF!! E.g. it takes 60 L to make one pair of shoes and that is usually polluted by the process.

In areas that do not have improved sanitation, it is the job of girls and women to fetch all the family’s water from its source (sometimes 2 kms away). This leads to many girls leaving school because too much of their time is spent just hauling water. One solution: drill wells near schools so girls can attend classes and get water.

Sanitation Along with a lack of water, another problem face by many developing countries is a lack of sewage disposal facilities. In rural areas this means that most people still use outhouses, in poor urban slums seawge often runs in the sewers

Both of these situations lead to cross contamination with the drinking water. This is the basis of the number one cause of infant and child deaths in LDCs from easily preventable diseases.

FOOD The average adult male requires about 2500 calories a day, females need Statistically the world produces enough food to keep everyone healthy. Once again the main problem is distribution and allocation (SHARING FAIRLY)

Nearly 60% of the world’s population suffers from MALNUTRITION 30% are underweight and do not receive too few calories to achieve and maintain good health. 30% are overweight because they receive too many calories (although often not enough nutrition) to maintain good health. Ironically this tends to be the poorest members of the MDCs.

Types of food The most efficient way to feed people is through rice and grains, supplemented with vegetables, fruits and a reasonable amount of fat and protein. Everytime you eat a pound of meat you are eating the equivalent of 9 pounds of grain. This is the amount of grain that the animal had to consume to make its flesh (that you eat). We could almost feed the entire world if the people of the MDCs would eat 1-2 fewer meat meals per week.

Ironically this would also make us more healthy as well since doctors now believe that most of our heart disease ( the number one killer in MDCs) is directly linked to the fact that we eat TOO MUCH fat and protein. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for an adult is.8 g/kg body weight.

HIV/AIDS In most MDGs the HIV infection rate has remained steady over the past 20 years. HIV is still a serious health problem however it is not an immediate death sentence, rather it has become a lifelong condition somewhat like diabetes. There is no cure but it can be managed for many years with the appropriate drugs.

HIV/AIDS In most LDCs HIV is still a quick death sentence because neither they or their governments can afford to buy the drugs that they need. HIV is even more tragic because it kills mostly young adults who should be the most economically productive members of society and infants who get the infection from their mothers during pregnancy.

Other Diseases The number one killer of children in LDCs is disease either caused by contaminated water (malaria, dysentery and cholera) or childhood infections such as measles. These diseases are virtually unknown in MDCs because we have the money for medicines and immunizations.

GOOD NEWS!!! So what is the good news??? Most of these problems can be solved by MONEY!!! Why is this good news??? There is still lots of money in the world- we just have to share it better

Peter Singer from Harvard University states that if everyone in the MDCs gave at least 1% of their income to international charity we could eliminate extreme poverty. By his calculation, $200 in donations would help a sickly 2-year-old transform into a healthy 6-year- old — offering safe passage through childhood's most dangerous years.

Final Question Are YOU willing to give up 1% of your money to save a child’s life?? Why or why not????

Canada and the MDGs In 2005 Canada was spending only 0.34% of GNP on the MDGs, less than half of the 0.7% to which we are committed. This is a decline from two decades ago, when Canada’s spending peaked at 0.50%.

The Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD) is one of the most economically powerful organisations in the world. The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) is comprised of 22 donor countries, all of which are high-income countries.

Of these countries, only five have reached the 0.7% target: Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Another eleven of the countries from the European Union have agreed the meet the target. Of all 22 countries, the average contribution is 0.47%. Sadly, Canada ranks only 14th among the 22 donor countries and still has no timeline in place to meet the 0.7% pledge.

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