Newsday Tuesday – Water Woes in Lima: A glimpse of our future? About an hour North of Lima, Peru, a town called Nuevo Pachacutec sits on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Even though the tens of thousands who live there are so close to water, their home is a dusty landscape which receives just 50 mm of rain each year. There has been progress - a central water grid is in place, but the main supply is at risk from pollution, causing kids to get sick. Many store water in barrels, a prime site for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Another option is a water delivery truck, which is reliable but pricey. Resident Daniza Cruz Navarro pays about 10% of her household income for this water. Due to rising temperatures from climate change, glaciers have retreated by 40%, making access to water even more difficult, and getting worse. “In this community, water is more than just a key ingredient for life, it is a reflection of harsh social divisions.” UN Climate negotiators are meeting in Lima to discuss how to meets the water needs of a growing population with the reality of a changing planet. Will Lima’s experience foreshadow what is to come for the rest of the world? Read Matt McGraths’ compelling piece from bbc here: bbc/news/science-environment-30390041
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 16:57:00 +0000
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