Water In Tanzania: Its Limitation And Vulnerability

This report is about water in Tanzania and how limited and vulnerable water is, Tanzania is developing as a country by having high economic growth over the last decade and with an annual GDP per capita and they also have a human development ranking at the lowest of 20%. Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, Tanzania’s water scarcity is very bad they don’t have access to clean water and poor drainage systems only 50% of the Tanzanian population have access to clean drinking water the other half of the population depends on dams, waterholes, and streams and this causes illnesses and diseases to the people, they also have to share with animals. 17% of Tanzanian people have no handwashing facilities and some still use the toilet facilities outside, to be able to drink clean water they have to go through a process of boiling water until there is no bacterial contamination, organisms living in the water and viruses, it is the most efficient method of purification, it usually takes 30 minutes for the boiled water to cool down.

Issues with access to clean water in Tanzania

Some issues include water-borne illnesses such as malaria and cholera (affecting half of the population) because people don’t have access to sanitary options, dirty water isn’t only the problem that Tanzanian people are facing. One out of six people lack access to safe drinking water, pollution is a massive thing in Tanzania it all comes from vehicles, burning forests, charcoal, and agricultural activities can all affect the water it also has been stated that water shortage is caused by population growth, high-level consumption, and climate change which has shortened the resource of water. If not boiled it can become a serious illness. Women and children have the role of carrying water which is very exhausting. Water is not evenly distributed around the world, especially Tanzania. However, it is not the only part of the world that have an inadequate water supply to address the need of the population. A riverine environment that includes fish, birds, wildlife, wetlands, plants, and microorganisms is also very vulnerable. Poverty is a massive thing because they can’t afford to buy environmentally friendly cookers instead they use wood for cooking that may pollute the water from the gases.

Impacts from access to clean water in Tanzania

A lack of investing in water resources leaves many of the population without access to clean water, insufficient capacity or storage, and poor drainage systems. Lucia’s life has been impacted amazingly by and an organization called Caritas helped lay more than 35km of pipes and as a result of her family now have water on tap on their property, she only has to walk approximately 500m to get water compared to her long hours previously. Lucia used to walk with uphill with water, she and her family have time now to work on other things eg: their farm. It allows them to grow a veggie and fruit garden and some to be sold at the local markets if they don’t eat/use it to make an income. They plant trees to decrease erosions that happen regularly and to help the environment, they can have clean showers and have fewer illnesses. Now almost everyone can go to school due to not spending all day getting water for their family, their attendance increases dramatically especially girls.

How has Caritas contributed to access to clean water in Tanzania?

Caritas is an organization that is working in some parts of Tanzania and have introduced a strategy that will supply 16,000 people with safe clean drinking water, Caritas is providing people in the village with all the resources and materials to build water supply system eg: water tanks and to provide a regular supply throughout the year. In the past water was too precious to be used for the littlest things eg: keeping plants alive, more water has allowed their water facilities to improve, they can regularly bathe and attend school regularly. Every person in the village benefits the water project regardless of their beliefs. Tanzanian people live off $1.25 per day Caritas helps them to supply water and food. Caritas have access to safe clean drinking water by developing ring wells, deep tube wells, and rainwater harvesting tanks.

Caritas assist people in Tanzania by giving 16,000 people with safe clean drinking water, they also supply the resources and materials to build their water resource like water tanks, water was too valuable to use for the smallest things. Water is NEEDED for every country that is suffering from water loss and have to travel hours just to go get a bucket of water every day just for their family to survive, everyone needs water humans, animals and plants need water to live and function properly, Caritas should give every part of Tanzania water so they all can survive, Caritas is an amazing organization that helps countries with water struggles.