What Young People Are Saying The bimonthly newsletter of Voices of Youth http://www.unicef.org/voy/ December 2004 no. 13 Our Future: Water, environment and Sanitation This issue of “What Young People Are Saying” is dedicated to how young people on Voices of Youth see water, environment and sanitation (WES) impacting their lives. Children and adolescents are dedicated to ensuring that every child has access to clean water and sanitation, and call for everyone to work together to this end. UNICEF is responding to this call globally, and in particular through its continued efforts in emergencies situations. This month on VOY Enough silence! Make your voice heard about violence! 13 Dec – 13 Jan, contribute to the UN Sec. Gen’s study on violence! State of the World’s Children New module and global chat! WEBSITE SPOTLIGHT Make a difference! 1-minute video contest Submit a video by 1 March about making change and win! Upcoming H2O.01: Water game Tackle floods, avoid droughts, save your community in this new game. SPECIAL Just released! “Youth and the MDGs” Download the paper and submit comments by 10 January by clicking here! INSIGHT OF THE MONTH “…But the government alone cannot solve the entire problem [of water pollution]. It is ultimately up to us, to be informed, responsible, and involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. girl, >21, Malaysia Overview Young people on Voices of Youth are concerned about the present environmental situation and stress the importance of a healthy environment for all children. They express anger at the existing pollution and contamination, feeling past generations did not place sufficient importance on WES related issues. But they approach the future with an optimistic attitude and believe now is the time to make a difference. Specifically, postings focused on the lack of access to clean water, air pollution, and deforestation as major problem areas. Concrete suggestions for how to overcome these challenges included: using alternative means such as solar power to decrease pollution; establishing widespread educational awareness campaigns to inform people of what the problem is and how individuals, communities, and policymakers can make a difference; and planting trees for reforestation. Germany “I think that the people of the world should look after their planet. If we don't start caring now, then there will not be a planet earth for us to live on in the future.” boy, 16 Children and adolescents on Voices of Youth show dedication and interest through their online debates. They would like to see their concerns and commitment to these issues mirrored by those of policy makers. Their discussion focused on the future and how they can work together to create a world where all people have access to clean water, sanitation and a non-polluted environment. Following is a brief summary of young people’s comments and suggestions on the issue of water, environment and sanitation. For more information contact: Amber Oliver, Coordinator, voy@unicef.org Water, Environment and Sanitation issues in context December 2004 Contributing factors Political implications Pollution Recycling Practical solutions What can young people do? What can leaders do? Conclusion Contributing factors Young people on Voices of Youth identify many factors as contributing to the problems related to water, environment and sanitation in their communities and around the world. They have focused on issues they feel have the strongest impact on young people’s lives today. They view people as the major contributor of current environmental problems. Australia “There are so many environmental issues that are getting worse and worse. Erosion, soil degradation, salinity, urbanization, endangered species, extinct species, the ozone depletion, increased pollution like carbon dioxide in the air forestry, rubbish and waste. This is something we can all help fix.” girl, 14 People: Humans are the major reason our natural resources are being dismantled, with members citing the ozone layer and the extinction of animals as examples. Malaysia “Man is the heaviest consumer of raw materials that mother nature has to offer. We chop down trees and mine resources. If that is not enough we also pollute our surroundings unabashedly.” boy, 20 Wastage: Children and adolescents on Voices of Youth speak of wastefulness of natural resources as one reason we are facing issues related to water, environment and sanitation. United Kingdom “We waste a lot of [water] not realizing what we are doing and how much people need it in other countries.” girl, 14 MALAYSIA “Water was once free and clean. We polluted the water, and we are now buying water…Everybody has the right to access clean water for free as nature’s most precious gift, but this seems to be a fairyland dream now.” girl, 18 Past generations: Discussions on Voices of Youth talk of how the environmental damage we are experiencing today is the consequence actions by previous generations. Turkey “In the summer I can no longer swim in the beautiful sea of Marmara because it is no longer blue. My mom tells me about the years when it used to be so clean that you could see the bottom even when the water was deep. Now it is almost the color of Coca Cola.” boy, 10 Norms: Young people on Voices of Youth state that people continue to take action that results in environmental damage partly because society does not condemn such actions. Sri lanka “It becomes a habit to ignore the harm done to the earth. And now it has become a norm to ignore environmental pollution. girl, 20 Political implications Young people recognize the role governments need to play to ensure access to water and clean living conditions. Government: In certain situations governments overlook the needs of people in poorer and under-populated areas. The Philippines “It’s unfortunate to know, that only at the major city do the government have some programs to stop and fight smoke belchers. I hope they notice us here at the small city. We’re still a part of the country, you know.” girl, 21 Poverty: Young people express concern for people living in poverty who often have less access to clean water and live in less sanitary conditions, and recognize the relationship between a lack of natural resources and poverty. Cameroon “Je pense ici au pays en voie de développement qui n'ont pas toujours assez de ressources financières pour établir ce genre de structures [pour l’eau potable]...N'oublions pas que l'eau est aussi utiliser comme source d'énergie..pour l'électricité..c'est donc un casse-tête pour certains pays de trouver la balance entre offrir suffisamment d'eau a boire a la population et l'électricité..” girl, 18 Zimbabwe “In developing countries like Zimbabwe where the entire economy is based on natural resources, it is the result of overpopulation, land degradation and ownership patterns that people are becoming more poor. Natural resources are owned by private interests who have marginalised the poor and landless.” boy, >21 Pollution There are many forms of pollution that young people recognize as hazardous to the environment, but they focus particular attention on acid rain. Acid Rain: Young people are angry with the widespread destruction of the environment by acid rain. India “This plant produces sulfur dioxide that turns into acid rain when it reaches the atmosphere. The acid rain problems are so bad that mountains are treeless. Even the lakes are left fishless. boy, 15 Brazil girl, 13 & girl, 14 Twenty Ways to Help the Ecosystem: 1. Use more biodegradable products. 2. Cut down fewer trees. 3. Recycle everything possible. 4. Separate garbage for recycling. 5. Make all important forest (like the Amazon) World Ecological Reserves. 6. Only clean chemicals or no chemicals should be thrown into bodies of water. 7. Have more garbage recycling industries. 8. Forbid entrance of armed humans in to the Ecological Reserves. 9. Reduce to a minimum the use of CFC gases. 10. Replant the barren areas caused by cutting down trees. 11. Treat sewage waste to use as fertilizer. 12. Treat the smoke that cars give out. 13. Produce cars that use natural combustion that won't affect the atmosphere. 14. Use more glass instead of plastic. 15. Teach the children the importance of recycling and not putting poisonous gases into the atmosphere. 16. Stop making things that are harmful to the earth that are not needed. 17. Recycle all clothes or distribute them to the poor. 18. Sign peace treaties to cease all threats of Cold War. 19. Use the money for the Cold War to help recycling and the poor. 20. Stimulate the world to preserve its land. Recycling Young people view recycling as an important part of taking care of the environment. They want to conserve their resources and maintain a clean planet. They want to promote programs that encourage recycling in all areas of daily life. In their opinion recycling programs can easily be implemented and have a positive effect the world. Russia “I think the main problem in the environmental crisis today is the lack of recycling programs. Spread of such programs would be a start perhaps making them mandatory in cities....An incentive could be offered or a tax on companies that produce non-recyclable every-day-use-items.” boy, 16 Save a tree: Trees are essential to a healthy environment. Recycling is a simple way to help preserve these precious natural resources. Spain “One thing people could do is recycle paper. If we recycle a number of papers we could save a tree.” boy, 11 Japan “There are many books and magazines, waste paper in the office or at school that can be recycled. I hope the environment will be a place with no garbage, people not wasting the woods, and cans. And I hope it will be much cleaner in the future.” girl, 15 Practical solutions Young people acknowledge the problems that exist but also actively discuss ways to make a difference. They have discussed numerous creative alternatives to promote a healthy environment for children. Solar Power: Young people ask that solar power and natural gas be used to decrease pollution and increase everyone’s quality of life. Egypt “In hot countries like Sudan and Egypt the sun is out almost everyday of the year. Why then is solar power not used? This will make life easier for poor people as they will not have to pay electricity bills. Pollution can be avoided if vehicles worked on solar power as it is pollution free, another option is natural gas which can be used in public transport” girl, 14 Education: Voices of Youth members recognize the important role education plays in creating an equal balance between the environment and modern development. They encourage the use of education as a tool to attempt to change people’s behavior in a way that is environmentally respectful. They understand that these changes will not happen overnight but believe that we need to start now. El Salvador “There needs to be a balance, we cannot just stop using some products, just buying biodegradable things, just stop cutting trees…We need a balance between the environment and development. The answer is not a radical change to stop what we are doing, but an education on how to efficiently use the natural resources.” boy, 20 Values: Increasing people’s appreciation of the environment would greatly assist in fixing current water, environment and sanitation. Education is the most effective way to get people to value the environment. Greece “The right education, the right and on time programming can help human kind to re-establish his relation with nature. In general a change to values is demanded in which the modern civilization is developed. People should get over the consumption thinking that they have and they should practice a new strategy.” girl, 17 What can young people do? Australia Organize: “If every person planted one tree a year. That’s 6 billion trees being planted every year…So get together, organize with friends, school groups, family, neighbours as many people as you can in your area and plant trees. It will make a better place to live for everyone. girl, 14 Nigeria Working together: “The idea of leaving a deteriorated earth to future generations is deplorable and its alternative requires innovation from all facets of development (economics, politics, science, and sociology) in order to make it a reality. ” boy, 19 United States Conserve and care: “We should at least do little things to help prevent global warming. Try not to throw away so much stuff, reuse as many things as you can. Maybe if the world’s kids and young adults start caring more about the earth, then adults and other people will too.” girl, 13 What can leaders do? Mexico Prevent factory pollution: “Lo que yo harma es pedir que los fabricas no conteminen mucho y no tirar basura en los lagos, playas y rios…” boy, 9 Estonia Change production: “I think that right now there is no other way [to save the environment], but to shut down all the factories or start producing only things safe to the environment.” boy, 15 The Philippines Society change: “There are always alternatives from non-toxic chemical substitutes, to reforestation- all contribute to the stabilizing…Environmental-friendly goods should be sold cheaper and awareness campaigns expanded from the most urban to most rural places.” boy, 17 Conclusion Growing up with access to clean water and sanitation and in a clean, non-polluted environment is a right of every child and adolescent. Young people on Voices of Youth recognize the critical impact water, environment and sanitation has on their development, and on the overall quality of life of every individual. Voices of Youth members have taken an active role in creating positive change to eliminate existing environmental problems. They have proposed solutions they can implement with their peers, focusing on aspects of conservation and recycling. Their discussions also included solutions that need to be implemented by current policy makers, including pollution regulations and access to clean water for everyone. The voices of these young people show their commitment to a safer, healthier environment for the present and future generations. It is the hope of these young people that communities around the world will join together – with children – to promote a healthy environment for everyone. For more information: Read the past VOY newsletter on WES: April 2003: Water, environment and sanitation New WES site: http://www.unicef.org/wes/ Voices of Youth http://www.unicef.org/voy/ Since 1995, VOY has focused on exploring the educational and community building potential of the Internet, and facilitating the active and substantive participation of young people on child rights and development related issues. Through web boards, interactive quizzes, youth leadership profiles, live chats and more, Voices of Youth provides thousands of young people from over 180 countries with an opportunity to self-inform, engage in lively debate, and partner—with their peers and decision makers—to create a world fit for children. TAKING ACTION ON WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND SANITATION (WES) IN EMERGENCIES Water, sanitation and hygiene programming continues to be an important component of UNICEF support to children in emergencies. Because of UNICEF’ s history and reputation in the area of WES, it is often the first agency that governments and partners turn to for support at the onset of emergency situations. Following are some examples from around the world of how UNICEF has coordinated the WES response to emergencies - for children. How does UNICEF respond to different types of emergencies? Iraq Emergency: Conflict, 2003-2004 Effect: The already deteriorated water and sanitation system in Iraq collapsed as a result of sanctions and this latest war, with around 40 per cent of the system damaged in the capital, Baghdad. UNICEF water and sanitation response: Emergency response included water trucking, providing 17.6 million litres of water daily to over 825,000 people at the height of conflict in 2003. As well as a continued focus on rehabilitating piped-water networks, sewage pumping stations and garbage removal. Training and capacity building of water departments has also been integral. Bangladesh Emergency: Floods, Annually Effect: As flood waters recede to the normal levels, children continue to be exposed to the dangers of diarrhea, cholera and other water-related diseases, suffer from the lack of adequate nutritious food, miss out on schooling and remain vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. UNICEF water and sanitation response: Raising hygiene awareness, repairing hand pumps, disinfecting wells and providing temporary water and sanitation facilities for millions of affected people. UNICEF’s existing water and sanitation capacity and 30-year partnership with the government allows it to support strategic interventions quickly for children and families. Honduras Emergency: Hurricane, 1998 - 2001 UNICEF water and sanitation response: Safe water was provided to 800,000 people in Tegucigalpa, including in hospitals and shelters. Participatory hygiene awareness-raising techniques were successfully implemented in partnership with stakeholders. Extensive support was given for reconstruction of water and sanitation systems for the 1.9 million people affected over a four-year period. The Sudan Emergency: Conflict and drought, Ongoing Effect: Approximately 1.2 million internally displaced people and host communities have been directly affected by the fighting in Darfur and surrounding areas for the past year. Children are succumbing to a deadly array of threats: Extreme overcrowding in camps for displaced people, shortage of clean water, inadequate latrines and sanitary conditions. Many families have inadequate shelter, rendering them highly vulnerable to the season’s heavy rains and winds. UNICEF water and sanitation response: UNICEF and its partner aid agencies have been working hard to improve water, sanitation and health services – To date, 700,000 displaced people now have access to safe water, 30,000 latrines have been built and 127 health facilities are reaching 950,000 people. Liberia Emergency: War and conflict Effect: Nearly 13 years of war have decimated water supply systems in the capital and major rural towns. Liberians have increasingly relied on ground water wells with hand pumps. But there are too few of them, leaving 69 per cent of Liberians without access to safe drinking water. 70 per cent of Liberians do not have access to sanitation facilities. Coupled with the total breakdown of garbage collection and disposal services in the capital and other major cities, poor sanitation has compounded the problem of inadequate safe drinking water. UNICEF water and sanitation response: As part of the Back-to-School campaign, UNICEF-supported partners have provided 240 schools with water and/or latrines with hand washing facilities. These facilities are benefiting a total of 96,000 students in schools located in Montserrado, Bassa, Margibi and Bong counties. Following a “Clean-up Monrovia” campaign, Monrovia City Corporation was provided technical assistance in the long-term management of its solid waste. Other long-term institutional capacity building measures are on-going.