The humanitarian gift of desalination units from Australian industry volunteers is breathing life into some poverty-stricken villages and refugee camps in Africa and Asia.
At “Action for Good”, a parallel session at Wednesday’s IDA World Congress, delegates heard how Rotary’s Disaster Aid Australia and South African company Quality Filtration Systems have teamed up with SkyJuice Foundation in Australia who make and install desal units for the developing world.
Disaster Aid CEO Jenni Heenan quoted a tragic and preventable fact – that 5000 children die each day from water-borne diseases from contaminated water supplies. Yet access to clean, safe water should be every child’s right.
The charity’s partnership with SkyJuice – an Australian group of skilled volunteers who collaborate on NCEDA research projects – meant they could provide 500 families affected by the Horn of Africa crisis with gravity-fed Skyhydrants producing 10,000 litres of clean water a day.
By the end of September, Disaster Aid and SkyJuice desal units would safeguard supplies for 400 families in South Sudan. They also supply villages in Pakistan, India and Haiti.
QFS CEO Herman Smit outlined his company’s pro bono work with Rotary to provide safe water for an inspiring children’s sanctuary in the impoverished Cape Flats. He said the desalination industry was ‘exploding’ this year in South Africa with major plants planned.
Author and humanitarian Emilio Gabbrielli urged industry into action saying that desalination has great potential for helping humanity and the IDA needs to establish an effective humanitarian committee.
By 2025 water scarcity is expected to peak as populations outgrow natural resources.
Dialogue among industry members is being encouraged to harness skills, build partnerships and support for humanitarian efforts to provide the benefits of desalination to those most in need.
For information visit: http://www.skyjuice.com.au/ and http://www.disasteraidaustralia.org.au/
