Carbon for water

Description

Carbon for Water shares the story of the hardships of the people in Kenya's Western Province, where safe drinking water is scarce and the wood fuel used to boil water for purification is expensive. These two factors conspire to make waterborne illness a daily--and life-threatening--reality among the already poor population. Women and girls are especially vulnerable; they often miss school or work when fetching wood, and some even fall victim to sexual violence in the process. This award-winning film shares a unique solution to this age-old, and worsening, problem. An innovative company has financed the distribution and maintenance of 900,000 water filters in Western Province, funded entirely by carbon credits awarded for reductions in use of wood fuel, both current and anticipated. The filters help to slow deforestation, as household demand for wood drops. In this way--and in just five weeks--4.5 million people were given the means to purify their water, which in turn unlocked the potential to improve families' income, education, and health. Carbon for Water is a personal look at the revolutionary power of a precious resource to improve a struggling community and the flagging environment.

Runtime

23 min

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

2011

Database

Alexander Street

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