2022 World Water Day: Groundwater -Making the Invisible Visible
Every 22nd March is World Water Day, this year’s focus is on groundwater. Groundwater is an invisible resource that has a visible impact everywhere. Groundwater is the water beneath the aquifer, a layer of rock, sand and gravel that contains a significant amount of water. Groundwater supplies springs, rivers, lakes and wetlands and infiltrates the sea. Groundwater is recharged mainly by the infiltration of rain and snow into the ground. Groundwater can be pumped or well to the surface. Living is impossible without groundwater. Most of the world’s arid regions are completely dependent on groundwater. Groundwater provides much of the water we use for drinking water, sanitation, food production, and industrial processes. It is also essential for the healthy functioning of ecosystems such as wetlands and rivers.
We Must protect them from overfishing, pollution and other activities that could endanger our water. It bears additional costs and sometimes even hinders their use. Groundwater exploration, conservation and sustainable use will be central to overcoming climate change, adapting and meeting the needs of a growing population.
CYDI featured on Darling FM 107.3, Owerri, yesterday, Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022, in their famous weekly program (Darling Clinic) in Commemoration of the 2022 World Water Day, which has the topic Groundwater- Making the Invisible Visible. At the programme, CYDI had the opportunity to educate listeners on the importance of water and what we must do to guarantee that our water bodies are protected and drinking water is safe for household use.
During the program, Felxfame Enisire, CYDI Programme Manager and Ugochukwu Anozie, CYDI Programme Officer who spoke at the programme on behalf of CYDI and as one of the CSOs who has implemented the USAID funded Effective Water Sanitation and Hygiene (E-WASH) Programme in Imo State listed some of the places in Owerri and Orlu LGA where residents can access running water from the government which includes: Egbeada, Aladinma, some parts of Ikenegbu Layout and World Bank and BCS Road in Orlu LGA. CYDI also said that the reason why there is still no running water in most places is the result of the previous government’s urban renewal project, where most of the pipe network was destroyed and residents also built structures in the path of the pipe network. In addition, the population of Imo has increased over the last decade, and the current capacity of the water supply system in the Owerri regional Water scheme may not be able to serve the residents of Owerri. As a result, the government needs to provide more regional water systems inside and outside the town of Owerri. Illegal disposal of waste by the residents of Owerri also slows down water production as this will cost Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation (ISWSC) more resources to ensure water is pure before they can start distributing to residents. Waste has been dumped in roadsides. Roadside dumping is a form of illegal dumping, where waste is disposed of in unauthorized locations. Few people think about the consequences of roadside trash. However, there are serious environmental problems associated with littering. Waste sent to landfills may contain pollutants and toxins that seep or seep from the soil into groundwater and surface water. In addition, landfills raise concerns about public health and safety, asset value, community pride, and general quality of life.
It was also mentioned that a lack of potable water in schools, hospitals, and other public places is the underlying cause of Open Defecation, Gender-Based Violence, and Young Girls missing lessons and exams due to a lack of water supply for personal hygiene while in school.
As water demand grows, governments, community leaders, individuals, private organizations and religious groups need to improve groundwater research, monitoring and analysis to protect and manage groundwater resources and achieve sustainable development goals.
