The global water problem and how it is being solved

by Graceful U.K

Sunday 19/10/2025  20:18 P.m  BST

A  desert  residence  with his donkey courtesy Graceful U.K

One  of the  issues  that has  troubled the world is  the  global drought problem,which  has persisted  in desert countries in the middle East ,Africa and North Africa .This is  one of those  issues  that  even as a child ,I listened to discussions about how the world  is working  so  hard  to  get the drought problem  solved, with so  many conferences  and studies  on the  earth  defying topic of water shortages,desert encroachment  and water pollution.  Looking back as an adult,I  wonder  sometimes  the  reasons  why  after many   years of  so much academic  conferences,dialogues  in UNESCO  and UN  ,the issue  of water  pollution,drought  and lack of clean  water  remains a major  problem  in the cities of the world.One of the things  that help people  to  maintain  a healthy lifestyle  in the United  Kingdom is the availability of  clean water throughout  the  seasons.I  still get surprised  that  the old images of little hungry kids  with  no  water to drink  are  still being circulated by concerned  charities,who feel bad  about the fact that   for  a  world , where water  falls  from the sky for everyone,that  we   are still watching   some of the world  poorest lacking something that is free  for  all .There  will  be  a gathering of academics and  stakeholders  on world  water  issues  in  London in December 2025 to discuss  what has been done and  what should be done,about the global  water challenges,  but   this  simply  reminded me of  our great  grandma  clay-pots  and the images  of the  16th century men in search of drinking water  walking on donkeys in the desert  countries  of the  world.Details of the upcoming conference  are below

• Date: December 1, 2025
• Location: Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) in London
• Focus: Discussing the role of international organizations in advancing global water science and practice, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme 

Water  pollution  remains  the  cause of  diseases among children living  in the  world poorest rural areas ,who still  depend  on  hardly sanitized  water  from ponds ,rivers and rain water that drops  from roof zinc    to  drink and cook.These  sources of drinking water are not  always  clean leaving their users sick  and at risk  of  water borne diseases.With advancement in hydrology  ,water pollution remains an  area of concern with  sewage wastes,insecticides,pesticides,industrial  hazards,  oil pollutants and spillages  flushed  down  water pipes through oceans and  rivers by mistake or by  willful endeavours, those  affected sometimes do not tell their  stories.The  conference will  discuss  global  water  practices of which I believe that   water pollution  will  be  a  major  topic.How has the  world  done,  since we were  kids  to make  sure that clean drinking  water  becomes  available  in the last  twenty years.Major innovations  in hydrology  and  new water products means that we can have clean water, but  more  needs  to be done.This  is mostly   among remote tribes and the poorest  cities  in North Africa  ,Asia  and  South  America  where  many  live with  no clean  water.According to U.K  centre for  ecology  and  hydrology "there is already unequivocal evidence that the UK is warming as a result of human-induced climate change, and projections suggest significant warming is likely to go on through the 21st century. Future warming will modify patterns of river flow and groundwater recharge, affecting the availability of water for human use, while also changing the aquatic environment".The  effects  of  water  pollution do not end  with deficit  water  supply  but its  effect on the health of  the  aquatic  inhabitants  like fishes,water ferns and  frogs ,with the  vast  majority  of plants,sea foods and animals  that  live inside the ocean  floor beds,some of  which  are  major  sources  of  protein for humans hence  the problem  of  water pollution,  is  a major concern for  stakeholders and water scientists.Dry  river beds  across  the  globe  especially  countries  close to the deserts  are  sources  of  concern to  stakeholders.Water managers in different countries  are daily  burdened  by  the  need to make sure that households  get  lots of water to cook,clean, wash up  and drink.U.K researchers  in UKRI  quote  that significant  progress has been made in this area  and this  is something  heartwarming. In  villages in  the third  world such as Africa, water  purification  is done by  putting  small   amounts  of  table salt inside  buckets  of  water  and  leaving the  dregs to  settle.They  separate  the  top clean water  from the  dirty dregs  below.The water  will then be boiled  and placed  into  containers  for  drinking.But  Nanotechnology  in advanced  water  purification  process means  that  we can have  clean  water to drink  from the  running  taps. Nanotechnology can be defined as the science and engineering involved in the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of materials and devices whose smallest functional organization, in at least one dimension, is on the nanometer scale or one billionth of a meter.But the  bottled water  companies  are  providing  sparkly  clean  water  for  everyone. Disinfectants are added to water in hospitals  and homes as measures to ward off infections  from the  body.Bathing water remains a commodity hotly needed in the desert areas  of the world,meaning there is an urgency to provide solutions that could help them out.Innovations in tap water focus on purifications, efficiency, and management through advanced technologies like AI-powered sensors, smart home systems, and improved filtration methods. Key developments include solar-powered and renewable energy-based desalination and filtration, digital systems for real-time monitoring and leak detection, and decentralized water reuse systems that treat and recycle wastewater locally.According to reports 783 million people  still doesn't have access to potable water. Which  is  quite  a huge number  of people  ,who  are susceptible everyday to catching water -borne  diseases  like  cholera.  So scientists are developing new methods of obtaining water and purifying it, using various chemical and physical processes. Here are five of the most  viable water purification technologies.Some of them are being used since early times  especially the salt purification methods.

6  Using salt for  water  purification.This is  an age long practice , which  people  are  still using today which  I  have  described the the processes involved above.Innovations in tap water focuses on purification, efficiency, and management through advanced technologies like AI-powered sensors, smart home metre systems, and improved filtration methods. Key developments include solar-powered and renewable energy-based desalination and filtration, digital systems for real-time monitoring and leak detection, and decentralized water reuse systems that treat and recycle wastewater locally.Food and shelter are very important for living, but nobody can survive for  a very long time without drinking water. That is the reason why, since the beginning of history, people see water  as the  most  important  element after oxygen  needed for  human survival.As  the world  awaits  to  listen to what will be said at the  conference,people hope that  the desert  world and countries  who are plagued  by this problem will get help  for the  ever  challenging  life  of  droughts  and no clean  sources  of  water. 

Girls  on college  campus  courtesy  Graceful

by  Graceful magazine U.K

Saturday  18/10/2025  13.27 P.M  BST

Why the girl-child  education is vital to world development

Despite  many  initiatives  by the  United  Nations and  concerned  groups to  move motions  that  will ginger  up  countries to  make the education of  girls  a  priority or compulsory especially  in  poorer countries , in the continents of  Africa  and Asia , where  women  are  amongst the most  marginalised  groups."Do  not do this  and that , are  always the words  for girls  and  women",made mostly vulnerable by poverty . And  that is how the world has always  been,but I do not think many women  worry about anything, other than  the poverty  that reaches  to the points of  affecting  children  to the points that many kids  are left unfed  around the world.My  beliefs  do not support  female insubordinations, but  I've met so many  who  think that  educating  girls will  turn them into stubborn  women,which  I find ridiculous,because  most  women know that  what makes  women stubborn , is  when they are marginalised , of which  my readers  know that  I am not with the bandwagon of rioting ladies  and out of sort girls.But  having seen  President  Barack Obama's  wife,  Michelle  Obama's new initiatives  for  girls ,I   think  it is  something  great to talk about  as  those initiatives  do change the lives of the very poor  girls across the globe .There is  an  adage that says that when you educate  a girl  that you end up  educating  a country , which is true.I've  spoken to some  grandmas  who gave me  tales  of how they managed to put their children through schools  and they  are the unsung heroes of the world, who  wore  two pairs  of  shoes  for  a whole  year,  while paying  for University  fees  for  their  girls,when they were told that their  daughters  could  get  early  marriages,  instead of going to colleges.Some of the women were thrown out of matrimony for sending their  girls  to schools.Today most of those girls are the professors,managers,doctors,the teachers,the engineers,members of parliaments,the architects,the lawyers  and others  doing great things across the  world.They still remain the mums  cooking and cleaning their  homes  ,which made me to  see that the  advocates of no education for girls, are  in the  error corners,because  they  miss the chances  of getting their  wives and daughters into  good job  places,  to enable them to earn good incomes  to improve their family  fortunes.Child poverty  is a scourge  eating  up  the world poorest ,which only the education of the future mums  can  erase , because even if  many pretend that they like wearing  broken shoes as they  do not want their wives  and daughters to  do city  jobs,they  might be on the inferiority complex  spectrum.Many men who were  able get professional trainings for their wives and daughters,  go into early  retirements and better  lives,  as they have  people to  support  them  early  in life.And for those who  do not share  Mrs  Obama's and other people's  views on supporting the  education of girls,they are the actual advocates of men working until they  get exhausted , giving them  no space to rest and enjoy their family life.When family finances are  taken care of  by both  men and women,financial problems become  nothing,but  many men know that they come to breaking points  sometimes  providing  for everyone.Many of them  opt into  divorcing their  jobless wives,  but  the problem  started  from when the women were  young  girls  with no access to education or  job trainings, which  if gotten  could empower  them   to get good  jobs  in the  banks,hospitals  and schools.Education empowers  girls to live good  lives  and  not to be solely  dependent on their spouses.But without good education female dependencies  which put  girls  into  places of  vulnerabilities  will be much.One can see that  vices  such as  prostitution, are fueled  across  cities,where  women are not allowed to  work or be in education or  any  form of  trainings that will help them to have access to good  jobs  in the future.The girls  who lack  faith   are  pushed  into these  evil  systems,  that lead to  further  marginalisation and  into  dark  places that lead to  bad news.The education of  women is  vital to  raising brilliant kids,as the kids  have  well informed  moms, helping them  to do school homework ,go to after  school clubs with kids,take them to hospitals  and other places of  play and enlightenment when  the men are  doing  something else.Most men who are on the overbearing spectrum,feel that  educating their daughters  could make them wayward,which is false as many  girls  who went to higher  colleges  and  Universities, learn how to  be virtuous women in those  schools and  are  helping people in their  communities to raise   kids  who are  opting into further  education.How can we have  an enlightened  world without future mothers,who have been to school.I  believe  that  Mrs  Obama  took  up this initiative  knowing  what   she  has  been able  to achieve  as  a  lawyer,advocating  for the  marginalised women in  her country.A woman standing  in the  law courts to fight for people's  freedom,is a boost to civilisation. Many  women and girls  across the world ,do  fail to  get  the  justices  they need  that people  like Mrs Obama  do provide advocacy  for  penniless girls to avoid them being sent  to dicey situations that lead women and children into poverty  and excessive   suffering as they are always shoved aside for being women  with no  voices.They are poor  and can afford  nothing  and  they can be thrown about as they are  just women,which women in power  like  Michelle might have  seen doing their  jobs.They could have seen many  poor mums  around the world who cannot access  good  childbirth  facilities    just  die  before their  time during labour. Many people  who work in neonatal units  in hospitals  around the world ,do see how  pregnant women are thrown about  even during  labour because of poverty and lack.They  are women with little or  no education,whose  husbands  cannot afford to pay  hospital  bills, on stretchers  in wards  during labour, begging  for help  and  many  died  because  they had no money to pay   for hospital bills.Women who are educated and in good jobs ,pay for their own  maternity access if their  spouses cannot,so the advocates of  education for girls,to   are not in bad  places  as lives  could be saved through their  advocacy  jobs.Many of the world  poorest children  are from mothers with little or no education,because  they are always in low income  jobs.Without education as girls,they cannot be in highly skilled  jobs,that  give them the chances of being financially enabled  as  women, when  bereaved  or when their husbands are out of  work.Many women  taken advantage of, know that it is due to poverty,which is what Mrs Obama's initiative  is tackling  of which  many women are  drumming support for her.Girls have to get the support they need to do well in life through  education or training.And no girl is  permitted to drop out of school because they cannot  get access to school fees.The  advocates  of no education for girls are only building systems for the  maltreatment of women,because  women in good  jobs  do not stand  around to  beg  for financial  help,exposing themselves  to harm and ridicule from  those  who see women as just  commodities.Women nurses  working in hospital  wards  are the ones  giving women leaflets  about  pregnancies,childbirth,weaning  babies,breastfeeding  and feeding babies  with milk and other vital  information that  could help them to  bring up healthy kids.But the process of them getting to this  point  is only through  getting the needed education  from childhood.

According to reports ,"For the poorest families in the world, lack of income is a driving force behind food poverty. Nutritious food is difficult to afford. Balanced, nutrient rich foods like meat, fruit and vegetables are expensive. Those children able to eat do so just once or twice a day, on a diet of easily available, cheap starchy foods like maize or rice which helps to fill stomachs but provides little nutritional value. The rising cost of food and food distribution issues post pandemic have made these food choices even more stark".This problem of food  poverty starts with the non education of  girls.This  is the issue women like  Michael  Obama  are raising  awareness  and helping  to fund.People who have never seen  struggling  moms  around the  world may not understand  the need to get  more girls into work  and  education.Many women  who are helping to run charities around the world are  girls who have been in such situations  and  saw  how  lack of education  and good source  of income  brought  them into great  sufferings  through their mums. Learning to eat well  can only start when girls  know what is  a balanced meal  and how to put them together in  schools. Education helps women to  exit poverty  for good,which  can only start when they  are younger  and are little  girls.Empowering women to work  to feed  their kids  is vital  to raising  kids who are  not in any form of crime  but marginalising girls  into  poverty  by withdrawing  access to education is something  that leads to more  problems in societies  across the world.Girls  need to get education to  communicate  education to their future kids.Sponsoring  girls into  education through scholarships  and bursaries  helps in the countries who embark on this vital  journey of hope,to  raise   women with skills  who will always help men in nation building.Asking  for more funding  to educate girls in schools and  Universities  across the world  is what many  have  been doing,knowing fully well how girls  are  helping in nation building through taking care of kids  and teaching them what is right.Empowering girls  through  learning  is  good  for  every country.

Girls walking together at a college courtesy Graceful U.K

The negative impact of electric power outages on Africa's economic growth

by Graceful  U.K

Saturday 18/10/2025 13.15 P.m BST

The  world  has watched  on  as  Africa  and some of the  other  world poorest  continents  throttle  on with their developmental processes.Many people  have  actually  thought  that  Africa  will  move faster than  it has done  in the last  twenty  years  with the provision  of  good amenities  for  its  people.But  like  a  child  always  trying to find its  feet ,walking on  a  slippery slope  Africa's  development has  not been as fast  as it was expected to be.Many people  remain poor  on low wages  ,with no good jobs  or opportunities for  their  youths.But  Africa's  major problem that  has led to its  stagnated  economic  growth are  the  hindrances  caused  by  it  not having good  electric  supplies.Major cities  are not well powered  and one  wonders  how factories  are in  production without  steady  electric  supplies. The  industrialisation of Africa  remains  the way forward  to boosting the  economies of its different  countries, just  to help the impoverished ,  who are out of  work  and living below  minimum wages.Many  of the  countries of  Africa  cannot  keep  food  cost  level  low  because they  do not have  amenities to  preserve foods  that are  already  produced in farms.Large  chunks of the  foodstuffs  produced  in  African farms are  wasted and thrown into bins,  because  the  temperature in Africa is so  high, that  the food decay  processes   are very fast.So  even  the hardworking farmers are  impoverished, because they can only sell small  chunks of their produced  food  items .There  are limited electric power  to  keep fresh food  items edible  and  most of the farmers  do not have  large  freezers  in their  warehouses/storage rooms  and  food  production processes, remain  something for  few  with  so many wastages. While many do  not have  access to the  distribution networks,because  some of the  farmers  growing food  are  just   men and women with no farming skills,machines or  knowledge of how to use  tractors neither  can they  afford  to buy them ,they  have no sound  knowledge  of     how to sell their  products  on industrial  scales  and preserving the fresh  food  products is an unreachable process for them.African  teeming populations  depend  on them  for  food .Africa  has  good lands  and weather  to produce food but  there is  still lack of  something basic as food  in its cities.The food industrialisation  processes  is  something  the  countries  of Africa, could look into,producing and preserving food  on large scales, have become  vital  to  the economic  health  of its  countries, as no hungry  man can work,be healthy  or productive. The farmers  need to know more  about  saving money, by preserving their  food products  and avoiding  so much wastes using  cost effective  methods. A  simple food product  like  popcorn,with  its simple  making production  processes,  can  be  an industrial  start up point for  maize  growers,  but the maize merchants need to know  how to keep  the already produced bags of  maize , fresh  to last longer  for  those eating  the  staple  meals,which is something lacking among  the large scale  farmers  making  efforts  to cultivate  food in African farms. Africa has  a very long way to  go  with its  industrialisation  processes ,if  it   does not think  of  providing lasting  solutions  to its  power  cuts  and energy supplies.The  little  generators  being used  in cities across countries like  Nigeria,  may not be   lasting solutions to its   power supply problems .It is only a temporary measure  being used by people , who can afford them,but  while  making policies for its  people,Africa  has to think of the very poor who  cannot  afford  to buy  anything ,because  it has been long  the poor  continues getting poorer and no power  supplies in  the  cities  of Africa. And for  small scale  industrialisation  to be effective , Africa needs  to think  deeply  about the provision of  stable  power sources  to its people.Nothing can be perfect  ,but  they need to  try, as this is something they can actually do  if they really set their minds  to  look for  lasting solutions to their energy supplies problems.The world believes  that  healthcare  will be improved in Africa , if there  is  electricity. One cannot still  believe that in this century , students in the Universities and colleges , still complain  about lack of power  ,which many see them  writing  about on social media.African leaders  need  to  think deeply about  the  electric power outages, in their major  cities.One thing with Africa  is  that sometimes  its  people  see  everything as  gigantic with  no access hope and things  that  cannot be done ,when it comes to  some of its  developmental process areas.But nothing beats  failure  but to try.Hundreds  of people do not have  access to electricity  in major  cities of Africa and this  is very worrisome  to those  hoping that the issue  of electric  and power  supplies  would have become  a  long bye gone story by now.Imagine the young girls  and older  women   doing  jobs  like  hair  dressing  and  tailoring  having  to rely  on their own supplies  of electricity using the  generators,so large  chunks of their  incomes  go  to buying  fuel  supplies  to power  their  shops and they  are mostly  struggling  women. Some  do lose  their sources  of livelihood to the constant  power outages,making life  difficult  for their children.According  to statistics 600million people in Sub -Saharan Africa , have no access to  electricity ,meaning that half of its  population  live  without light.Power Outages hinder  production  in factories  , leading to losses for  the  businessmen and women. Industrialists  think that the use of solar  energy  could be the  fastest  solution  to  Africa's lack of energy  supplies  and its  leaders could actually  look into this to  see a way out of  no power supplies  for  its  teaming population,leading  to lack  among the young  people.Africa's  solution  to its poverty   may not  be by allowing the youths to  leave the  continent  to better  places , but  find[ng  solutions to  unemployment,security problems ,food  supply shortages,shortage  of manpower  and electric power in their  factories , which  are the reasons why  the younger people take  risky steps to move away  from the  continent.Africa  needs to try  for the  sake of the young people who  are taking so much risks  to  have  better  lives in other  rich  and developed countries. African leaders  need to  look for  reforms and new strategies  to  change  things  for their people especially by  looking  for  lasting solutions to the  energy supplies shortages which  is believed to be their major problem ,hampering the  productivity  and industrialisation of  which  there can never  be  any way forward  ,if  this problem is not properly  addressed.If Africa  can get help with eradicating  mosquito and malaria Africa needs  to  ask for more  help from  other  industrialised  countries  to  end  its  energy  crisis.They  need  expertise to set up  the newer  solar panel  alternatives which  I believe  could be  cost  effective, rather  than depending  on the old systems  only,  for  its  other problems  as  they could be helped.Many  people believe  that  Africa   needs to ask for more,  as   as there maybe willingness to help   ,but if they do not speak out,the world may think that  its  teaming population are happy  to still  live in the stone  ages  with  no  proper electricity ,some depending  on  old methods  to  get energy supplies  to do simple  tasks like cooking.The  aging power  plants  they are using can never end  this  problem .Even if they cannot  afford to buy the latest  energy  equipments,  they  can plead with the industrialised  countries to  give them  their  older versions,which  are more updated  than the ones they are using  in their  cities  at  subsidized  prices,rather  than staying  with nothing.Some might be willing  to give them  without so much payments.There is no harm in asking.Fossil  fuels  and hydroelectricity  is Sub-Saharan Africa's     major  source  of energy , but if  Africa feels that  ,that is not enough  then they  could  look into  newer  options to  get  as additions  ,just to make sure that they have good energy supplies in their  cities.

Through an initiative called “Mission 300”, the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank Group and the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative are working with partners to expand electricity access to 300 million people throughout the continent by 2030  but more needs  to be done  as before  2030  many  will be gone,without  even knowing what it  looks like to  live without  the  light being off for  a month. Saying  a month is too  good,because  stories emanating  from Africa  show  that  some African towns  have  no electric  installations at all meaning  that  those groups of people still live like people  in the stone  ages.According to  reports, the Africa Energy Summit is taking place in Tanzania on 27 and 28 January 2026,but that is  still   some months to come. The Summit will provide a timely opportunity to reflect on how expanding electricity access can transform lives and drive sustainable development across the continent. The Summit offers a platform for Africa to showcase its leadership by creating  affordable, clean energy future—not only for the continent but as a source of inspiration for the world. Something could be  done .And the world  watches on   to see what Africa  is planning to  do  at the conference  to  end this  problem  not  only for  itself ,but for other continents  like Asia  where  the  energy supply problems  still persist in this 21st  century.