Subject: Re: Introduction / Changes to the Ferghana-Valley list
Deb4248@aol.com
Date: Wed Jun 21 2000 - 21:55:47 EDT
HI, My name is Deb Adelsperger, I am a water and sanitation engineer working
in developing countries and areas of armed conflict for the last 8 years. I
recently participated in an assessment in the Ferghana Valley for an American
NGO. The assessment focused on 4 areas; water and sanitation, economics
(credit), health, and agriculture. This was my first time in Central Asia
and the trip was very fast but very interesting. We participated in 'focus
group' interviews in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Krygzstan although as an
American I was not allowed to go into Krygzstan. (strong recommendation from
the Ambassador).
What I found most compelling was the clear route of transmission of pathogens
among the countries through both transboundary surface waters and high
groundwater tables. One mans drinking water was another's waste disposal,
irrigation water, bath water and then yet again another mans drinking water.
In many areas pit latrines are sitting in high groundwater tables and
communities are without the resources to afford concrete lined latrines to
prevent the spread of disease.
While water quantity is no doubt an issue that will have to be dealt with at
higher levels, it seems to me that sanitation and overall public health
issues, which affect water quality can be tackled at the community level and
have far reaching affects in transboundary water issues. Once I laid out the
communities we looked at on the map it became very clear that a program that
targets cleaning up water quality would go far in healing tensions between
upstream and downstream users. The areas we were in usually found headwaters
in Krgyzstan and then traversing waters between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Why not start at the headwater communities and work downstream with water
quality issues? We were only in the Ferghana Valley for three weeks and we
were not able to do any convening with local authorities, so I am not sure,
but I presume that water quality standards are the same among these
countries. Anybody know?
There were other very serious problems that communities told us about, but
cleaning up the water quality would help enormously in all areas of peoples
lives.
Deb Adelsperger
__________________________________
Deborah Adelsperger
Watershed International
200 18th Ave NE
St. Petersburg, FLorida 33704
email: Deb4248@aol.com
phone/fax: 727-502-0519
mobile 727-510-1192
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a22 : Wed Jun 21 2000 - 22:00:46 EDT