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UN Millennium Development Goals
In 2000, the United Nation (UN), 193 member states and at least 26 of international organisations committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The MDGs are aimed to:
· Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
· Achieve universal primary education
· Promote gender equality and empower women
· Reduce child mortality and improve maternal health
· Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
· Ensure environmental sustainability
· Develop a global partnership for development
One of the targets within the Environmental sustainability goal is to halve the percentage of the world population that does not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 (UN, 2006).
In 2008, 87% of the world population had access to potable water. It is expected that if the world’s population with access to safe drinking water continues to increase at the rate it is doing now, the 2015 MDGs target will be achieved and possibly exceeded. However, it is important to remember that these predictions take into account the whole population, and so include Asia’s success.
Some regions, such as Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa, are not meeting their target. In fact, in case of Oceania, the situation has actually gotten worse since 1990 (Figure 1).
· Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
· Achieve universal primary education
· Promote gender equality and empower women
· Reduce child mortality and improve maternal health
· Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
· Ensure environmental sustainability
· Develop a global partnership for development
One of the targets within the Environmental sustainability goal is to halve the percentage of the world population that does not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 (UN, 2006).
In 2008, 87% of the world population had access to potable water. It is expected that if the world’s population with access to safe drinking water continues to increase at the rate it is doing now, the 2015 MDGs target will be achieved and possibly exceeded. However, it is important to remember that these predictions take into account the whole population, and so include Asia’s success.
Some regions, such as Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa, are not meeting their target. In fact, in case of Oceania, the situation has actually gotten worse since 1990 (Figure 1).
Both Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa use less than 3% of their surface and ground water resources. Hence, by improving the access to these resources throughout these regions the MDGs targets will be met.
This project is specifically aimed at the Sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi in particular. However, it is expected that the findings of this project could be applied in other regions of the world in the future, provided that there is a good understanding of local conditions.
This project is specifically aimed at the Sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi in particular. However, it is expected that the findings of this project could be applied in other regions of the world in the future, provided that there is a good understanding of local conditions.
Cooperation with Water Works
Figure 2. Sub-Saharan region of Africa (Quandzie, 2011)
Water Works is a charity founded by Simon Cohen in 2008. It aims to provide safe drinking water for the poor in the Sub-Saharan region (Figure 2) by teaching
them how to construct, operate and maintain water pumps. Water Works cooperates
with the University of Edinburgh to develop a simpler and more durable pump.
Currently, Water Works charity focuses on the Abakus pump, which is a rope pump, and more recently, the Nafe pump, which is based on the Malda pump.
Currently, Water Works charity focuses on the Abakus pump, which is a rope pump, and more recently, the Nafe pump, which is based on the Malda pump.