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Five Things You Should Know About Water Quality in Namibia


Located in southern Africa and bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the Republic of Namibia is known for its sweeping deserts and mineral exports. However, the country’s dry climate makes it susceptible to drought, which means there are scarce freshwater resources. Here are five things you should know about water quality in Namibia.

Five Things Facts About Water Quality in Namibia

  1. Water quality in Namibia has greatly improved since the 1990s. Total improved water increased from 70 percent in 1990 to 91 percent in 2015. Great improvements were seen in rural areas, where roughly 53 percent of the population resides. The proportion of the rural population with improved drinking water increased from 58 percent in 1990 to 85 percent in 2015.
  2. Despite improvements, water quality in Namibia is still lacking in rural areas. This is partly due to the difficulty of upkeep and system installation in communities with limited resources. “The disturbing truth is that installed rural water supply infrastructure is far harder to keep operational than hoped for, and often fails before its planned design lifetime due to poor maintenance,” the Rural Water Supply Network wrote in a report.
  3. Rural communities are coming up with their own ways to clean and filter water. Among these is the use of filtration cloths. Water is poured over a piece of fabric that catches contaminants. Tests reveal that certain kinds of cloth, such as cotton, can even remove some microorganisms as well. While these methods are not as effective as a modern filtration system, they offer a temporary solution for vulnerable communities.
  4. The government has taken steps to improve water quality in Namibia by creating policies focused on regulating wastewater reuse and water saving. The Water and Sanitation Policy, or WASP, which was enacted in 1993, is an example of such policy. Since WASP was established, the water supply in rural areas has increased enough to meet the domestic and livestock requirements of the majority of the farming population. This improvement has had a great impact because 72 percent of Namibia’s water is used for agriculture.
  5. Technology has played a significant role in increasing access to and improving water quality in Namibia. The capital city, Windhoek, pioneered direct potable reuse systems, or DPR. DPR is the process of treating wastewater and then returning it to the water supply without using an environmental buffer, such as a reservoir, first. Namibia’s DPR system has been operating since 1968 and has been so efficient that some U.S. agencies are studying its success.

Despite countless environmental and geographic challenges, the Namibian people have used innovation and technology to make great progress in improving water quality and availability in Namibia.

– Alexi Worley

Photo: Flickr

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Ten Facts About the READ Act


The Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act (READ Act) has maintained significant support in legislation, where the Senate has read the bill twice. The goal of the READ Act is to promote education and maintaining stable communications in order to promote peaceful transactions with specific countries in need. Below are 10 facts regarding the READ Act.

Ten Facts About the READ Act

  1. Sponsored by Marco Rubio, the READ Act is a bill aimed at achieving universal access to quality basic education and significantly improving the learning environment in developing countries. Through cooperation with foreign governments, a consistent curriculum would be established in each respective country in order to stabilize the education system.
  2. Curricula are aimed at improving literacy and numeracy, as well as other developmental skills that can benefit a future worker. This system would be created only after consulting various groups ranging from government to organizations that represent teachers and students.
  3. Breaking down barriers is an essential part of this bill because it allows for a safe learning environment. Women and girls would get the same opportunity to benefit from the READ Act. Also, marginalized groups such as individuals in conflict zones and children would get priority to the educational benefits.
  4. When a country becomes a partner and is in need of assistance, the improvements are monitored in order to make sure goals are achieved. This is done by the Senior Coordinator, who is appointed by the President and is responsible for the resources used for the establishment of universal basic education.
  5. In order to eliminate the potential for unnecessary costs, all similar positions in different facets responsible for the enactment of this bill would become unnecessary, after the legislation is passed. The Senior Coordinator for the United States Agency for International Development would be eliminated in order to prevent duplication.
  6. The READ Act aims to accelerate the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 by including elements prioritizing the need for universal basic education and expanding the powers of the government, including “partnerships” with developing countries most in need. They would receive training and develop a plan of action for their education system.
  7. This bill outlines the specific duties of the President in relation to the enactment of this bill. If passed, monitoring and evaluating would become a necessity, as progress would be made publicly available to ensure global progress.
  8. No later than Oct. 1, 2017, the President has to submit a strategy to Congress on how to provide universal basic education to developing countries in need. The plan must be consistent and include long-term goals to be achieved from 2018 through 2022.
  9. Before Mar. 31 of each year following enactment of this bill, a report must be given to Congress outlining the results of the strategy created by the President. It would include how successful coordination was made between different governmental agencies in implementing the READ Act and how qualified each country is to receive assistance. Progress in the implementation of this bill would also be included.
  10. The READ Act would ensure the promotion of education as a foundation for sustained economic growth, enabling partner countries to develop a sustainable education system and strategy.

Reinforcing education through the READ Act means providing the marginalized in our global society with a safe environment in which to learn. Positive growth and the ability to one day start a business or pursue a college career allows people to become another skilled professional in the workforce.

– Nick Katsos

Photo: Flickr

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Ten Facts About Mumbai


Also known as Bombay, Mumbai is one of the largest cities in India. Home to about 13 million people, it is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the world. Mumbai is known for having some of the biggest slums in Asia. Here are 10 insightful facts about Mumbai.

Ten Facts About Mumbai

  1. Areas that aren’t recognized by the government are called non-notified slums. These areas lack satisfactory sanitation, clean water, adequate housing and secure tenure.
  2. The houses in the slums of Mumbai are small shanties the size of about 269 square meters. A shanty is typically composed of one room with a small bathing area. Families are forced to share the sleeping area, which is normally composed of one bed and a mat rolled out on the floor at night. There is no kitchen, only a two-burner gas stove. Many families have no choice but to live in these overcrowded and under-resourced conditions.
  3. The houses do not have indoor toilets. Therefore, people living in shanties have to use communal bathrooms. The bathrooms are unhygienic and do not have proper sewerage to dispose of the waste.
  4. Residents are exposed to contaminated waters as a result of insufficient sewage systems. This is one of the main causes of health problems in Mumbai. People who live in non-notified areas do not have access to clean water. Many people are forced to illegally tap into city water pipes. This contaminates the city’s clean water.
  5. Dharavi is the largest slum in Mumbai, with about one million people residing there. It is the home of many microindustries that include tanning, leatherworking, pottery and plastic recycling. The slums of Dharavi are quite different from what is known as a typical squalid place. Instead, it is a “complex ecological and economic system.” The residents aren’t people who live below the poverty line. On the contrary, they are middle-class, educated folks who have been deprived of decent housing.
  6. Mumbai is a major center for education. The literacy rate is at 89 percent. Even the slums of Mumbai are India’s most literate. However, because Mumbai is so densely populated, school admission can be a challenging process. In fact, parents are advised to start applying six months in advance.
  7. The enrollment rate has increased by 20 percent since 2010.
  8. However, despite the increase, the number of dropouts in Mumbai has also drastically increased. Specifically, in secondary schools, as the dropout rate is 33.4 percent.
  9. Boys drop out from school more than girls do. In 2013, 39 percent of boys dropped out before completing elementary school. Thirty-three percent of girls dropped out that same year.
  10. The unemployment rate is higher in Mumbai than most places in India at 5.5 percent. However, it decreased from 5.7 percent in 2016.

These ten facts about Mumbai give an insight of the living situation. Although Mumbai has a lot of problems, there are many organizations addressing the situation. Organizations like the Fight Hunger Foundation and AMMA are helping to alleviate hunger and poverty in India. These ten facts about Mumbai also show the education side; it’s mostly positive with a literacy rate of 89 percent and a rising employment rate.

– Solansh Moya

Photo: Flickr

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What Does the US Refugee Vetting Process Look Like?


The U.S. refugee vetting process is long and challenging. The vetting process refers to the steps a refugee follows after fleeing from his or her home country and resettling in the United States.

The process begins when a refugee flees his or her home country. Refugees flee their country of origin for various reasons.

After fleeing, a refugee usually registers with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR verifies that under international law, this particular person qualifies for refugee status.

Next, the UNHCR refers the individual to a U.S. Embassy with a Refugee Processing Post. The Department of State then steps in. Many different security checks take place through different federal security agencies. A refugee undergoes more screening than any other type of traveler coming into the country.

The Department of State also has a Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration that partners with different agencies. One of the agencies that the bureau partners with will create a document called an Overseas Processing Entity. This document is given to an officer within the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The officer then interviews the refugee to determine whether or not the person legally qualifies as a refugee and can be admitted for resettlement within the U.S.

Once it is determined whether or not the individual qualifies as a refugee under U.S. law, the case returns to the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration for the final stage of approval. The refugee’s information is then forwarded to the Refugee Processing Center.

The Refugee Processing Center requests “sponsorship assurance” from one of the many refugee resettlement agencies across the country. While these last steps of the U.S. refugee vetting process take place, the refugee will be given a medical exam. He or she also receives a cultural orientation to life in the United States. Upon medical clearance,the International Organization for Migration will book a flight for the refugee.

The refugee will be met at the airport upon arrival in the United States. Now, everything becomes the responsibility of refugee resettlement agencies. A resettlement agency will have already arranged accommodation for the refugee. A staff member of a local resettlement agency will meet the refugee at the airport and take them to the accommodations. Once in the United States, refugees can take classes to learn English and find work.

The U.S. refugee vetting process is slow. Depending on the situation, the process can take anywhere between a year and a half to two years. In 2016, however, 84,995 refugees were resettled in the United States. The vetting process may be long and complicated, but the ability to resettle in the United States has changed the lives of thousands.

– Shannon Elder

Photo: Flickr

Connection to the Internet and Fighting Poverty

Internet access has become progressively more important for collecting information, looking for jobs and participating in a changing world economy. The internet is the perfect tool for communicating with people all over the world and staying on top of news, but the internet can also be a great tool for eradicating poverty.

How is the internet helpful?

The internet is an effective way to raise awareness. The first step is letting people know what’s going on. Many organizations, like The Borgen Project, use the internet to promote their cause. With their websites, they are able to spread awareness of the extreme poverty conditions that many countries are under. These websites also have videos, pictures and ways poverty can be eradicated. With access to the internet, anyone across the world can view the site, receive the information and there’s a big chance that many people will receive the message.

According to the Pew Research, in 2016, 88 percent of adults in the United States alone used the internet. Therefore, raising awareness of a problem like poverty can be done in a fast and effective way.

In addition, the internet can be useful for recruiting people to help end poverty. The internet is used worldwide. Therefore, bringing people together from all over the world can be easily done through social media. If each country has a handful of people helping, it increases the chances of ending global poverty.

How can the internet help people in poverty?

Having a connection to the internet can make a difference in the lives of people who are living in poverty. It can empower them to make their own decisions. Connectivity can also lead to access to healthy food, a home and freedom of speech. With a connection to the internet, information is available to help people stay safe, educated and communicated. According to ONE, “internet connectivity could generate $2.2 trillion of economic growth and create new jobs… could lift 160 million people out of extreme poverty.”

Digital GAP Act

Despite having such a useful tool like the internet, many still remain offline. About four billion people don’t have a connection to the internet; most of these people are in developing countries. For this reason, the Digital GAP Act was put in place to promote internet access in developing countries, to prompt economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty. The Digital GAP act was passed in the House of Representatives on Jan. 24, 2017. This legislation wants to accomplish the following:

  • Give financial support to developing countries by international organizations, including through grants, loans, and technical assistance, to expand information and communications access and internet connectivity.
  • Give internet access to at least 1.5 billion people in developing countries by 2020 in both urban and rural areas.
  • Promote internet deployment and related coordination, capacity building and build once policies in developing countries.
  • Remove tax and regulatory barriers to Internet access.

Overall, the connection to the internet can be useful for people living in poverty. It can help them in many different ways: it can give them resources, stability, freedom and connectivity. It can also help with alleviating poverty, by creating jobs for everyone.

– Solansh Moya

Photo: Flickr

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Water Quality in Germany: The Gold Standard

Water Quality in Germany: The Gold Standard
Water quality in Germany has been regulated by an effective water management division. The country’s water technology and purification processes are highly regarded internationally. The German government implemented water protection procedures such as water waste charges, the preservation of natural habitats and laws to penalize water pollution.

Germany has an abundance of fresh water; 2.2 percent of the country’s surface area is covered by 11 predominant rivers, 291 dams, and other natural lakes. Approximately 11.7 percent of the fresh water is assigned to drinking water protection.

In 1998 the European Union (EU) adopted the ‘Drinking Water Directive’ (DWD), which set a foundation for high-quality standards for European drinking water. The DWD guidelines include parameters that must be fulfilled to assess drinking water quality.

Currently, the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), represents 80 percent of drinking water production and 60 percent of wastewater disposal in Germany. BDEW supports sustainable energy, the protection of water supply and proper wastewater disposal.

On October 4, 2016, BDEW convened with the Federal Ministry for Environment to state its opinions on major energy developments to be implemented over the next 15 years. The meeting focused on “the future of public services in the water sector.” Key results of the collaborative effort include extending fresh water and groundwater protections to unused resources, creating an “integrated cross-sectoral environmental legislation,” as well as implementing consequences for “enforcement deficiencies in the environmental law.”

As the water quality in Germany increases, the cost of tap water rises as well. A solution to water inflation is the re-use of wastewater, also known as water recycling. By reusing processed water, the required heating and cooling energy are lowered, saving energy and money. Recycling water also reduces the cost and effort needed to filter and purify unprocessed water. When the processed water is reused, it is already free from unwanted micro-organisms and harmful elements.

Germany’s strict environmental legislation and multiple industrial measures have enhanced its water quality and advanced long-term sustainability.

– Madison O’Connell

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty in Israel Economy

Poverty in Israel
Poverty in Israel is widespread despite the nation’s booming economy. Approximately 22 percent of the population, or one in five Israelis, live in poverty according to a report by the National Insurance Institute in 2015. Among developed nations, Israel has the highest poverty rate, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The statistics on poverty differ depending on family structure. As the report establishes, families with children are more likely to be in poverty, with the rate holding at about 23 percent. Such is especially true for single-parent families or families with only one working parent. The rates also differ based on population group, with ultra-Orthodox families seeing a poverty rate of about 49 percent and Arab families about 53 percent.

Furthermore, a discrepancy exists due to age, with approximately 30 percent of children and 22 percent of the elderly living in poverty. Leket Israel food bank CEO Gidi Kroch said, “Israel is the poorest of the Western countries, with the widest gaps between the rich and the poor — a situation where the weakest populations, the elderly and children are suffering the most.”

Although the causes of such poverty are mixed, it can be attributed in part to low wages and employment rates, which may stem from poor education. In response to this impoverishment, the Israeli government has introduced a number of measures. Child benefits and the minimum wage have both been increased, leading to an advance in familial income. As for the elderly, welfare and disability allowances have also increased.

However, Israel’s welfare minister Haim Katz contends that welfare and tax benefit increases are not drastic enough. Average salary, as Katz points out, does not determine welfare benefits. He plans on changing this, declaring: “If we linked income support to average salaries we would immediately remove 187,000 from poverty.”

In addition to adapting the welfare system, the Israeli government should pursue a better standard of education. Regardless of which measures the government pursues, it is evident that poverty in Israel must be addressed immediately. “If things continue as they are,” Israeli economist Dan Ben-David reports, “we are heading to a third-world economy.”

– Gigi DeLorenzo

Photo: Flickr

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Water Quality in Guyana Improving

Water Quality in Guyana
One of any civilization’s most important resources is its water supply, and in Guyana, the importance of water quality is paramount. Guyana’s top exports and leading industries are agricultural, which requires a massive proportion of the country’s water withdrawals (94.4 percent in 2010). The country’s long-term average annual precipitation is 2.4 meters, and the average actual renewable water resources total around 600,000 gallons a year.

According to U.N. Water, Guyana invested around $36 million into water-related infrastructure and programs from 2003 to 2011, and more than 37 percent of that money, approximately $13 million, was put into the large water supply and sanitation systems. “In 2003, water supply and sanitation – large systems received 7.9 million constant 2010 U.S. dollars, representing the largest amount invested by the government in one water-related category over this period,” the U.N. Water Guyana country brief states.

In that seven-year span, official development assistance totaled more than $84 million, of which nearly 35 percent, or $29 million, went toward large water supply and sanitation systems. The U.N. Water report on Guyana states that water, sanitation and hygiene factors contributed to more than 300 deaths in 2004, which is nearly 3.5 percent of all deaths in the country. Since 1990, the under-five child mortality rate has dropped from a probability of 65 per 1,000 lives births to fewer than 30 per 1,000 live births in 2010. This may be due to the increased number of children with access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation facilities.

The U.N. water report also states that 94 percent of the country’s 758,000 people used an improved drinking water source in 2010, compared to 88 percent in 1994. In addition, the number of people with access to improved sanitation facilities rose 10 percentages points in those 16 years.

The report notes that little data is available on drinking water quality in Guyana. It clearly states that the country faces water-related challenges, including contamination of potable water supplies, which lead to water-borne diseases such as vector-borne lymphatic filariasis and leptospirosis. It also notes that there is a lack of highly qualified personnel within water sector institutions.

According to the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), these diseases are generally associated with standing water, mosquito-borne lymphatic filariasis and contaminated (water related) leptospirosis.

A July 2014 news release from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) states that water quality in Guyana may soon vastly improve with The Program to Improve Water and Sanitation Infrastructure and Supply.

The IADB loaned Guyana Water Incorporated more than $16 million while the European Union invested more than $14 million, in part to educate residents on proper hygiene practices.

This program could help decrease the prevalence of leptospirosis as it is commonly correlated with coming in contact with waters contaminated by animal waste, according to the CDC.

– Shaun Savarese

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Jamaican Refugees


Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and housing a population of 937,700 people. It is the third most populous Anglophone country in the Americas and the fourth most populous country in the Caribbean.

Jamaica is a small developing country that is seeking to promote human rights, safeguard the rule of law and protect refugees facing persecution. Here are 10 quick facts about Jamaican refugees:

10 Facts About Jamaican Refugees

  1. Jamaica has a comprehensive refugee policy that addresses many factors for refugees.
  2. An asylum seeker has to be classified as a political refugee in order to qualify for refugee status in Jamaica.
  3. In 2015, a report released by the United Nations (U.N.) Refugee Agency showed that Jamaicans made 836 applications for asylum.
  4. Jamaicans are seeking asylum in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
  5. Jamaicans are the top asylum seekers in the Caribbean.
  6. There is no proper identity registration currently in place for Jamaican refugees.
  7. Lack of documentation of Jamaican refugees makes it hard for these refugees to have social and economic rights.
  8. Employers are not aware that Jamaican refugees do not need work permits to work in the country, which creates unnecessary unemployment.
  9. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has recommended that asylum-seekers and refugees should be provided with recognized identification cards.
  10. Currently, there are only 12 refugees from other countries in Jamaica.

Most Jamaican refugees are educated at the tertiary level in Jamaica, but have sought asylum for both economic and social opportunities. The loss of the country’s skill base of working professionals has had a tremendously negative impact on the productivity and education in the country, which are important factors that drive the Jamaican economy.

– Rochelle R. Dean

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in the Netherlands


The Netherlands has various strategies in terms of accepting refugees. There is the Dutch Council for Refugees, which works to improve the lives of migrants in the country. Despite having an organized council, there are still problems that accompany taking in refugees and handling their living arrangements.

Close to 60,000 refugees were admitted into the Netherlands in 2015.

Refugees in the Netherlands are housed in former prisons. The country’s crime rate has dropped drastically over the last several years, causing many correctional facilities to close down. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) decided to use these empty prisons as temporary housing for refugees. Before they are granted asylum status, refugees are normally stuck in temporary housing for at least six months.

A report shows that the Netherlands approved 70 percent of refugee applications made in the first nine months of 2015. In comparison, EU approval averaged 47 percent.

There have been many difficult housing issues in small Dutch towns caused by an influx of refugees. Some refugees were housed in cramped cities or hastily built homes in the suburbs. Although many have been able to find temporary homes, there are many others who have struggled.

A group founded in 2012 called We Are Here helps refugees in the Netherlands find temporary shelter in unoccupied buildings in Amsterdam. The group has more than 200 members and helps those who have a hard time integrating into society.

Thankfully, there have been projects to help refugees in the Netherlands. For example, a project called A Home Away from Home allowed Dutch people to design temporary houses for refugees.

There has been some controversy regarding refugees in the Netherlands paying for their living situation. In total, refugees in the Netherlands have paid more than EUR 700,000 over the past four years. According to a regulation placed in 2008, working refugees have to pay 75 percent of their income toward food and housing.

Once they have been living in the Netherlands for six months, refugees are required to work at least 24 weeks per year.

Back in mid-2016, the Netherlands made an agreement with Germany. It pledged to return the last half of 900 refugees that were sent to the Netherlands after Germany could not grant them formal asylum.

The Dutch Council for Refugees works with 14,000 volunteers and a few hundred paid employees to support refugees with legal rights and the asylum process. The organization also used “NGO twinning projects,” which is a process used to facilitate work with other refugee-assisting organizations.

– Emma Majewski

Photo: Flickr