One Drop at a Time

One Drop at a Time: Save the Children Lebanon’s national advocacy campaign to encourage water conservation.

If you’ve visited Lebanon this past summer (2014), there’s a big chance you’ve noticed the abundance of water trucks parked outside buildings, filling up one of the growing number of water tanks that have run dry.

(click on image to view video)

While many have gotten used to the sight of water trucks in the summer months, the water shortages in 2014 have been particularly acute. Last winter was one of Lebanon’s worst rainfall seasons in the past 60 years, plummeting from an annual average of above 800mm in rainfall to around 400mm. The exceptionally mild winter means that there is now insufficient water for agriculture, industry and households alike.

Experts say climate change and water mismanagement are largely to blame for the growing water scarcity, but the arrival of over 1.2 refugees into Lebanon has put additional strain on the country’s infrastructure. Refugees living in Informal Settlements and unfinished buildings are particularly vulnerable to water scarcity- some 27 percent of Syrian refugees are unable to access potable water, UNIDO has said[1].

Lebanon’s water shortages have become so bad that the average person’s share of water has dropped to a third, according to the Lebanese Centre for Water Management and Conservation (LCWMC). It has warned that Lebanon will face a water scarcity crisis by 2025 if moves are not taken to better manage the country’s water resources.

Although long-term solutions are needed to address water scarcity, small actions at home can make a big difference too. Just keeping the taps off while brushing your teeth could save up to 95 liters per month, the LCWMC has said.

To highlight the problem and provide practical steps on how to address it, Save the Children Lebanon’s WASH programme, supported by the Advocacy department, produced a 40 second child-friendly animated advert showing simple steps to minimise wasteful water practices, which is currently being shown on national Lebanese television. The national television campaign will be supported by nationwide distribution of books, flyers, posters, and interactive games for children in schools and communities where we work which teach children about the importance of saving water and steps they can take in their homes to eliminate wastage.

[1]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/lebanon-beirut-water-sc...