Water Knowledge Base
Education.
There is simply not enough education regarding conservation. An idea sprouted from providing communities with new clean pipe lines and analyse the changes.
This is an expensive output, however, in the long term authorities would save on emergency repair costs.
Conservation is crucial if we educate the youth they can educate unaware family members in the benefits of saving water.
Chemistry Set Solution
A chemistry set solution to the water crisis that is amplified by a sensor on Litmus paper that contains chemical compounds needed for all testing in the lab, physical chemical and biological. From that the litmus paper a sensor will be connected to a monitor that will transmit via SMS that anyone can subscribe to. Once a user purchases a sensor he or she can attach it to the gutters outside their homes.
The SMS messaging will allow users to inform the local authorities about contamination, shortages which will aid awareness and detection. Usman describes financials being supported by changing the local authorities for the SMS subscription model which will in tail pay for the developed technology. Usman says this will create an ecosystem which will speed up awareness and ultimately create a mindset that fuels environmental change in the hardest hit areas.
Mindset
There is a consistent pattern of immediate fixes and no LONG TERM solutions.
Farming
Farming supports 25% of GDP , but farmers are still growing water intensive crops which will have a damaging effect on the country’s agriculture. Under pricing and water management are two areas of focus that need immediate attention otherwise Pakistan economy will suffer greatly. PCWR presented a mobile technology educating farmers on irrigation which allows them to grow more when using satellite data and mobile technology.
CENSUS
The population will continue to grow but it is not accompanied by an increased supply of fresh water.
POLICY.
The Asian Development Bank has already declared Pakistan as water stressed. But there is lack of political will to change the status quo even when currently there are only 1,000 cubic meters of water per person as compared to 1947 it was 5,000. Therefore one suggestion from the learnathon was creating an educational water preservation scheme aimed at 11-18 year olds out in school system which would be funded by local authorities. This ultimately would benefit a change in mindset and hopefully engage policymakers.
GENDER.
Women are the primary providers of water supplies in the household. However, in regards to involvement women are not involved in discussions relating to access, supplies or preservation of infrastructure. There needs to be a conversation of gender disparity, women need to be involved in the urban space, this measure would benefit in the long term as male voice does not bear knowledge on finer details which are crucial to sustainability.