Tanzania Reflection #3

Every drop of water That has crossed my lips for drinking or even brushing my teeth has come from a bottle. We were warned early and have been reminded often not to drink water from the tap or even eat any food that might have been rinsed with tap water. Our hotel bathrooms have provided us with either fresh water unfit to drink or brakish water. Water use in Tanzania, specifically Zanzibar, provides an almost classic study of any developing nation in terms of access and quality, but differs due to distinct geologic and geographic features. 

So many of the water issues we hear about in the US and at Furman (Guatemala Water Walk) are problems here. Many women spend their days walking to get water and then carrying it back home. This responsiblity keeps many young girls out of school and puts them at risk for assault. Through some online research, I found that in 2003, Tanzania came under pressure from the World Bank to privatize their water or be refused aid money. It continues with "in 2003 a British corporation called Biwater came into the country and took over their water system. However, Tanzania's water problems only continued to get worse with Biwater in charge. Women were still being attacked when gathering water, because they still needed to walk long distances to access a pump. Additionally, people were still dying from water borne illnesses, and cities were still without any access to sanitary water. As a result, in 2005 the Tanzanian government took Biwater to court in London for breach of contract. They won the case and Biwater had to pay $7 million in damages to Tanzania."

International groups and companies are involved in a lot of industries besides water here, which is unfortunate because little of the money they make seems to tricle down to the locals. Recently, a Noriegen company and BP have found oil and gas off the coast and have been given the go-ahead to drill. 

Another conflict that arises is between water strained residents and water thirsty tourists who like nice pools, clean laundry, and plenty of pristine drinking water. Nothing drastic is ever done, but it always remains in the back of the mind. Though they may have little water to spare, much of the economy relies on tourism. Prof. Ian told us the water situation is still a work in progress, but the government and people are working toward more access and better quality for all.

Prof. Ian gave us an explanation of the reasons why Zanzibar is so unique in terms of the geography of its freshwater. It is an island on raised coral, which absorbs freshwater when it rains (like a sponge). This provides the island with a very large aquifer from which to draw water. However, as this water flows toward the coast, it is forced down below coastal salt water. As this underground stream moves toward the mainland below the channel, there are spots where fresh water bursts up through the ground. Local fishers have long known of these freshwater upsurges and utilized them on their trips!