Question

Identify the problem of drinking water in Kathmandu and prepare a report on it.​

Answer 1

Kathmandu´s case, shown in the short film, also applies to many Asian cities surrounded by highly contaminated fluvial channels. The Nepalese capital produces around 150 tons of waste daily that are uncontrollably discharged into the rivers. A population of about one and a half million inhabitants lives around the city, and according to the Government Central Statistics Office, one out of five families in the capital does not have access to a domestic water source and two thirds of the households live with an unsuitable water supply.

The problems of water access and sanitation worsened on April 25th, 2015 with an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. The tremor shook Nepal with its epicenter in the Lamjung district, the second most populated city in the country. Its impact was very serious and entire mountain villages were destroyed. The number of affected citizens reached 8,100,000 people, half of which are minors. The official death toll reached 7,000, and over 9.5 million people needed humanitarian aid. The lack of water and food caused 2.8 million internally displaced persons, and Kathmandu received thousands of people that fled from destruction.

Even today, the city and the country have not recovered from the catastrophe. The We Are Water Foundation collaborated with World Vision and Oxfam in two projects. Canisters were supplied in the project with World Vision which have helped around 1500 families to transport and store water to survive. Over five tons of water and sanitation material were sent in the project with Oxfam from its warehouse in Barcelona to help all victims. It was possible to supply 30,000 people with drinking water thanks to this.