6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

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Interview with Dr Khalid Mahmood, Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab

Interview with Dr Khalid Mahmood, Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab

Dr Khalid Mahmood on a boat cruise

Could you describe your professional career and/or personal experiences related to space technology and water? Where does your interest in those sectors come from?

I started my research career in 2013, with research interests revolving around various environmental concerns that were deeply rooted in water related issues of Pakistan. Having an educational background in Space Science, it was quite intuitive to possess understanding of the very high potential of applicability of Geospatial technologies in the water sector.

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Hydro-diplomacy: The role of space-derived data in advancing water security

Hydro-diplomacy: The role of space-derived data in advancing water security

Tarbela Dam, Pakistan – part of the Indus Basin Project that resulted from the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan. Source: NASA

Water scarcity is one of the greatest threats faced by humanity of our time – in 2019, more than two billion people experience high water stress (UN-Water 2019) and approximately four billion people suffer from severe water scarcity for at least one month per year (Mekonnen and Hoekstra 2016). This worsening problem increases the risk of international conflict over water resources breaking out, given that there are over 270 transboundary river basins, and three-quarters of UN Member States share at least one river or lake basin with a neighbour (UN News 2017).

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Hydro-Diplomatie: Le Rôle des Données Spatiales dans la Promotion de la Sécurité de l'Eau

Interview with Dr Khalid Mahmood, Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab

Interview with Dr Khalid Mahmood, Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab

Dr Khalid Mahmood on a boat cruise

Could you describe your professional career and/or personal experiences related to space technology and water? Where does your interest in those sectors come from?

I started my research career in 2013, with research interests revolving around various environmental concerns that were deeply rooted in water related issues of Pakistan. Having an educational background in Space Science, it was quite intuitive to possess understanding of the very high potential of applicability of Geospatial technologies in the water sector.

Read More

Interview with Amin Shakya, PhD Candidate at the University of Twente

Interview with Amin Shakya, PhD Candidate at the University of Twente

Photo of Amin Shakya
We present an interview with Amin Shakya, a PhD candidate at the ITC Faculty of Geo-information science and earth observation at the University of Twente. We delve into Amin’s first engagements with geospatial technologies, his current PhD research on river discharge estimation using earth observation, as well as his prior work on groundwater analysis using space technologies. Further, Amin is engaged with the youth community particularly with the Groundwater Youth Network. We discuss his take on the role of youth in climate change adaptation. Throughout this interview, we touch upon various water challenges across the globe, from disaster risk management in Nepal, to urban water challenges in Mexico, to his current PhD research focused in Europe and in Africa.
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Interview with Amin Shakya, PhD Candidate at the University of Twente

Interview with Amin Shakya, PhD Candidate at the University of Twente

Photo of Amin Shakya
We present an interview with Amin Shakya, a PhD candidate at the ITC Faculty of Geo-information science and earth observation at the University of Twente. We delve into Amin’s first engagements with geospatial technologies, his current PhD research on river discharge estimation using earth observation, as well as his prior work on groundwater analysis using space technologies. Further, Amin is engaged with the youth community particularly with the Groundwater Youth Network. We discuss his take on the role of youth in climate change adaptation. Throughout this interview, we touch upon various water challenges across the globe, from disaster risk management in Nepal, to urban water challenges in Mexico, to his current PhD research focused in Europe and in Africa.
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Local Perspectives Case Studies

Samburu tribe lacks access to safe drinking water - Dry spells due to water scarcity

Samburu tribe lacks access to safe drinking water - Dry spells due to water scarcity

Samburu woman drinking (brownish) well water filtered through the fabric of her dress
The Samburu community in Kenya are pastoralists as they keep animals which is their main source of livelihood. They move from place to place in search of adequate pasture lands and water. Due to the recent dry spell, water sources are dry and there is no water. Both women and girls are walking long distances of about 20 kilometres per day to search for water. This search usually goes on from day until night. In order to save the water they bring back home, some women and girls bath wherever they find the water. The long journeys they partake on in search for and carrying water has impacted their wellbeing as some of them are suffering from backaches. In addition, the water they collect is not so clean to be suitable for drinking, but because they have no other options, they consume this water resulting in them suffering from water-related illnesses. School children have to bring their own water in one or two litre bottles from their homes to school because there is no water in school.
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Water shortages and quality issues for domestic use in Platfontein South Africa

Water shortages and quality issues for domestic use in Platfontein South Africa

Dry tap
The water supply in Platfontein comes from the water distribution system but it is contaminated and therefore not safe to drink. That might be because Platfontein is closer to Kimberly which is a mining town as water in mining towns usually has a problem. In Richards Bay (another mining town) there is a lot of salt in the water and in Kimberly there is a lot of dirt in the water. For example, if you were to boil the water from Kimberly you will see dirt at the bottom of your kettle with brown stains which are hard to remove. This just shows how dirty the water is. And if there have been water cuts for a couple of days and when you try to open tap the water will be brown, which is a major problem in Platfontein, hence the need for better water purification systems in place. As a result of consuming contaminated water, people in Platfontein are already suffering from water-related illnesses including diarrhea and skin conditions.
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