Water Voices
Documentary Series
Seven compelling stories about people who found local solutions to the worsening water
crisis in Asia and the Pacific
Water is essential to all life. And yet one in five Asians lacks access to
safe drinking water, and half the people living in Asia and the Pacific do not
have access to adequate sanitation. Conflicts over sharing of scarce water resources
are increasing at an alarming rate.
The "Water Voices" documentary series recognizes the power of good examples
and lessons learned to inspire 'home grown' solutions to water problems.
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VIDEOS
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Breaking Barriers
Dhaka is the fastest growing mega-city in Asia, with a population expected to reach 16 million by 2010. Over three million poor people live in squalid slums. Most are considered illegal squatters who have no access to city water or sanitation services. One solution gaining momentum is for poor communities to manage communal water points themselves, with assistance from a local NGO.
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Hidden Paradise
To the eye, Hidden Paradise in the city of Bacolod, Philippines is starkly different from other neighborhoods nearby. It's a community of former squatters with tidy homes and clean, dry streets, a safe drinking water supply, and healthy children. Community leaders reveal how they transformed a slum into a hidden paradise.
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The Connection
Long years of war and civil strife left Phnom Penh's water supply system in ruins. An estimated 70% of the city's water was lost through the decrepit distribution system and illegal connections. Led by its dynamic director, Ek Sonn Chan, the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority has overcome these challenges to become one of Asia's most effective water utilities, as it advances towards the goal of providing water for all of the city's residents.
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Waibulabula - Living Waters
Development over the years has caused critical damage to the reef and degraded village water sources on the Coral Coast in The Fiji Islands. Now coastal communities, a local NGO and a tourist resort are working together to save the reef, and protect and manage water resources.
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Walking for Water
During a three-year drought, women from the arid rural areas in the state of Gujarat, India were spending at least three hours every day fetching water from a steadily diminishing source. Now the women are managing village systems, and bringing water closer to home. They use the extra time to earn a living through a handicraft cooperative.
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Water Tomorrow
The remote island countries of Kiribati and Tonga in the Pacific rely mainly on fragile groundwater aquifers for fresh water. But groundwater sources just below the surface are highly vulnerable to pollution and salt water intrusion, as populations grow and concentrate in urban areas. Community organizers are working to change peoples' behavior to safeguard water supplies and the environment.
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Upstream Downstream
There is conflict over water use between upstream and downstream communities on the Ping River in northern Thailand. How can the competing demands for water be balanced? The Ping River Basin Committee brings all stakeholders together to seek common ground on sharing and protecting this vital river system.
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