Emerging Organic Contaminants are a growing concern worldwide due to their potential impact on the environment and human health. New research in Ethiopia’s Awash Basin used environmental isotopes to show how pollution from industry and agriculture travels between surface and groundwater systems. The presence of EOCs in tap water also suggests that pollution is affecting groundwater sources used for piped water supplies.
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How the lack of inclusive waterpoints creates challenges for vulnerable people in coastal Bangladesh
by Fahreen Hossain, Senior Research Associate, REACH WISER In rural Satkhira, a division located on the coastal belt of Bangladesh, accessing safe water is an everyday challenge, with poverty and environmental conditions creating hindrances that have...
Lack of safe drinking water: Estimates double globally
New modelling estimates by Esther Greenwood and colleagues suggest that four billion people worldwide lack safe drinking water – double the number of people estimated in 2020. REACH Water Security Director Rob Hope gives his perspective on the new estimate and what can be done to address water safety, climate risks and data gaps.
Revitalizing Stakeholder Engagement Strategies to Redress Water Security Challenges in Ethiopia
In June 2024, the International Water Management Institute convened academic institutions, private companies, NGOs, ministries, basin offices, city authorities, and research organizations to review and improve stakeholder engagement strategies in Ethiopia. Effective stakeholder engagement can help in identifying and implementing sustainable solutions, enhancing communication among stakeholders, and ensuring accountability. Read more in this blog piece from the workshop organizers.
Potable water insecurity: Health concerns of the marginalised population in southwest coastal Bangladesh
Drinking water scarcity is a common experience for people living on Bangladesh’s southwest coast. The causes relate to the complex hydrological setting, with saline intrusion into both surface and groundwater. However, the severity of the water crisis varies from one community to another. The population here is diverse and includes socially disadvantaged people and ethnic minorities who deal with social inequity in every sphere of their lives – access to safe water is no exception.
Unravelling drought patterns using high-resolution drought datasets
Drought is a complex natural phenomenon with profound impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and society as a whole. Understanding drought patterns and trends is crucial for effective water resource management, agricultural planning, and disaster preparedness. In this blog, Dr Solomon Gebrechorkos and Prof. Simon Dadson explore the journey of developing and utilizing high-resolution drought datasets to unlock insights into drought dynamics at local and regional scales.
Professor Katrina Charles features on Vice-Chancellor’s Podcast
Professor Katrina Charles recently featured on the Fire and Wire podcast, hosted by the University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey. This podcast series, now in its second year, explores different aspects of the Oxford community, documenting the diverse...
Water scarcity forcing rural Kenyan women to devise coping mechanisms
In the past few years, most women and youths in Kilifi County have struggled with access to water for diverse activities due to climate change, limited networks, and income. Thus, access to and use of water is often negotiated and shaped by intrahousehold dynamics and government institutions. While women tasked to provide water for their families create networks to sustain access to water and diversify water sources. men move out for better jobs, and youths take up commercial water provision roles.
Fair Water? REACH’s new exhibition at Oxford’s Museum of Natural History
The Fair Water? Exhibition takes its visitors on an immersive journey along a river, from source to mouth, drawing on REACH’s research in Africa and Asia, and weaving in art, digital installations, and specimens from the museum – different sets of tools that engage different parts of our brains…
Pouring hope or pouring doubt – Navigating the aftermath of disasters in coastal Bangladesh
Cyclones and storm surges regularly damage infrastructure in southwest Bangladesh. Afsana Afrin Esha describes how her current research focus is informed by REACH fieldwork to understand how different drinking water technologies are affected.