What Are We Drinking ?
It was an unforgettable day, the day I saw dead animals along the canals of Cairo. My dad was driving the car when I shouted at him to stop so I can take a closer look. It was the first time I had ever seen such a horrible image in reality. There were dead horses and cows floating in the water. What was really shocking was that people passing by did not care. It seemed to me that they thought this was normal, an image that they see everyday. But this was a first to me. I was shocked and devastated that somebody would do that.
Some Egyptians are not aware of this problem and some have a lack of knowledge, which is why they do not think about the consequences of their actions. They throw all sorts of things in the Nile and in the rivers. They throw trash and animals in water they drink from. Water pollution is a major problem in Egypt, and since the Nile is the common source of drinking for Egyptians, they are getting diseases and dying everyday. Egyptians that lack the knowledge like farmers do not know what to do with a dead animal so it is easier for them to just throw it away from their plants and fields, so it won’t contaminate them. One of the major problems that happened in Egypt was at the time of the spread of bird flu. When farmers knew that bird flu can cause death, they started throwing birds into the Nile River, not realizing that this could also lead to death to people drinking from the Nile water. The disease spread into the water causing the death of many Egyptians. However farmers are not the only thing causing the pollution of the Egyptian water. Factories tend to spew their trash directly into the Nile’s water. They are ignorant of the people who are dying constantly due to water pollution.
The lack of knowledge and the ignorance of some people are causing Egyptians to die in an increasing rate .Water pollution is a serious problem affecting Egypt as a whole, and it should be addressed immediately with the outmost severity.
Comments
Are there any efforts being made to educate people about these connections? How is information about the issue spread?
Posted by: Christina | April 19, 2009 03:09 PM
Your blog brings up a lot of questions for me. You suggest that the Nile is a major resource for Cairo. I am curious to know how important the Nile is for the different groups of people living around it. Many are drinking that water, yet many are polluting that water. And you said that people who were passing by the dead animals you saw did not care. Is this the common opinion of most people in Cairo? Why do you think this happens, and what, if any, steps are being taken to prevent pollution in the Nile. It is shocking, but sadly not surprising, that factories and people are dumping waste into the Nile. Personally, I don't have a genuine care for rivers. Of course, we have been taught from a very early age to not pollute, especially bodies of water, because that affects so much wildlife and the effects spread to us. So in no way do I support waste or pollution. But since there are no rivers near me or relevant to my life, pretty much none of my concern is for the safety of bodies of water. And clean water to drink is never a problem. Is your concern for the safety of Nile water a widespread issue? Your blog makes me want to find out more, and it brings up an interesting issue about how culture influences people's perspectives on pollution and environment.
Posted by: charles | April 27, 2009 11:37 AM
Wow. Your post outlines some very alarming environmental issues that clearly have significant impacts on the welfare of those who use this water. You do a great job of discussing the impacts of polluting the Nile River on people but I'm guessing that such pollution also directly influences local ecological networks. The disposal of dead animals in the Nile water definitely kills fish and other indigenous animals and plants life; this is probably one of the most important factors of the decline in fishing resources in Egypt. Fisheries throughout North Africa are declining due to rising water temperatures (caused by climate change), over-fishing and to the continued industrial abuse of the Nile. The decline in aquaculture throughout North Africa is one of the most notable effects of climate change in the region; this issue could be greatly mitigated by confronting the issue of widespread pollution of the Nile River. I'm wondering what efforts there are in Egypt and throughout North Africa to address climate change and its effects on water. Are there any ostensible efforts to introduce policy changes that would prohibit such pollution or institute programs to raise awareness about the significance of improving the water quality of Nile, especially now that research shows that the most dire effects of climate change in Africa concern the availability of water? I tried to do some more research on pollution of the Nile but not much surfaced. I'd really be interested in any efforts you are aware of regarding policy or environmental awareness.
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