Four water-saving tips for African countries

Four water-saving tips for African countries

By Lilian Kaivilu

In Africa alone, 395 million people do not have access to clean water, a trend that should worry governments and policy makers in the continent. And with Africa’s population projected to be 2.2 billion by 2030, only 32% of Sub-Saharan Africans will have access to sanitation by 2030.

According to statistics by WaterAid, 695 million people living in Africa lack basic sanitation. WASHwatch, the collaborative monitoring platform set up by WaterAid, 57 million people in Nigeria don’t have access to safe water, over 130 million people don’t have access to adequate sanitation which is two third of the population and around 45,000 children under five years old die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Besides lack of access, many people living in the continent lack basic skills and ideas on how to save water. while water resources in Africa may be few, how the water is managed and conserved is an issue of great concern.

As the world marked the World Earth Day today, GROHE, a German brand in sanitary fittings has provided tips on how people living in Africa can save water. This year’s theme for Earth Day is: Environmental and Climate Literacy.

This is how you can save water:

1. Choose to conserve water: The individual choice to reduce water consumption is only one of the many strategies needed to address the issue of water scarcity but it gives each person a role to play in protecting the planet.
2. Use water efficient products: Since 2009, GROHE has launched the Green Mosque Initiative in many countries, whereby the company partners with local entities to install water-efficient products in the ablution rooms of mosques to help the respective regions achieve sustainable reduction in water consumption. Muslim worshippers’ ritual ablutions consume between 10 and 15 liters of water per day. Every possibility to save water therefore has a great impact on consumption. As mosques play an important role in people’s day-to-day lives.
3. Use water-saving taps: Mohammed Ataya, Vice President of GROHE Egypt, North and West Africa says: “Water saving taps, showers and water saving flush systems are two of the main ways that everyday citizens can contribute to protecting the environment. Sustainability is one of the core values and a top priority in the creation of every GROHE product for bathrooms and from the design to development stages.”
4. Use the right technology: Ataya adds that “Quality materials, first-class design and advanced engineering all play an important role in saving water. For example, GROHE EcoJoy hand showers feature either an integrated flow limiter, or an Eco button or spray dimmer which lets you chooses when to reduce the water flow.”