Slums are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis — and devising solutions

The “La Asociación de Usuarios del Acueducto Comunitario ‘Aguas Calientes’” is a comunity water plant built with government grant money to address the potable water scarcity in the area. Over the course of two decades of operation, the Association is the primary water supplier of the area’s 6,000 residents.

European cities have implemented low-emission zones that gradually restrict older, polluting vehicles from entering designated urban areas, in an effort to reduce air pollution. While effectiveness varies by region, since implementing these zones, Brussels has seen a 36% reduction in nitrogen oxide levels over five years, and air quality improvements extending up to five kilometers beyond the zone boundaries.

To combat water contamination, Athens County established three pet waste stations equipped with waste bag dispensers and trash bins to give pet owners the supplies they need to properly dispose of their pet’s waste. Simple practices like these are leading to improved water quality, as the county’s environmental protection agency found bacteria were removed from 18 waterways after the dispensers had been installed.

The I-WASH program aims to combat waterborne diseases and address challenges facing communities without access to clean water. The program has built toilets in schools, provided handwashing facilities, as well as a solar-powered borehole and educational services on sanitation practices and how to maintain the water points. Through the help of the I-WASH program, as of May 2022, 300 functional toilets had been built in households across more than 30 communities.

To combat health and sanitary issues arising from high rates of open defecation and a lack of government support, community members worked together to fund and build 14 easily accessible toilets that are cleaned daily and open for anyone to use.

Strict laws put in place to regulate water waste have caused a 26% decrease in water use since 2002. Through practices like limiting outdoor watering and water recycling by The Southern Nevada Water Authority, the state has seen a 26 billion gallon reduction in the last year alone.

The Cleaner Lagos project works to clean up the state, aiming toward maintaining a clean and healthy environment at all times. From waste management services to incentivized waste sorting and stricter regulations, the project has helped to reduce the spread of diseases caused by poor sanitation across the state.

Mysuru has become a gleaming example for solutions to India's vaster struggles with solid-waste management, toilet construction, sanitation strategy, public outreach, and other measures. The city uses a decentralized model that leverages a mix of municipal resources, NGO leadership, civil society, and cooperation from proud residents and businesses.

If you’ve ever been to a music festival, you’ve probably stepped inside a chemical toilet. The blue, plastic toilets, are meant to be temporary. However, in post-Apartheid, Cape Town, they are permanent fixtures for a large population of mostly black, poor residents.

Though once the rivers were afoul with pollution and the carcasses of poisoned fish and the water from taps was too hazardous to drink, Denmark now boasts some of the world's cleanest drinking water and some of it's most comprehensive programs for good water management. The Danish government is looking to help other nations replicate their success, leveraging technology and collaboration to better manage water treatment and conservation for all.