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Global Water Brigades at Berkeley
Honduras:
República de Honduras
is a democraticrepublic inCentral America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras todifferentiate it from
The country is borderedto the west byGuatemala, to the southwest byEl Salvador, to the southeast
byNicaragua, to the south by thePacific Oceanat theGulf of Fonseca, and
to the north by theGulf of Honduras, a large inlet of theCaribbean Sea.
Economy:
The economy has continued to grow slowly but the distribution of wealth remains very polarized with average wages remaining low. Economicgrowth in the last few years has averaged 7% a year which has been one of the most successful growths in Latin America, but 50%, approximately 3.7million, of the population still remain below the poverty line.
It is estimatedthat there are more than 1.2 million people who areunemployed, the rate of unemployment standing at 27.9%.Honduras was declared one of theHeavily Indebted Poor Countriesby theWorld Bankand theInternational Monetary Fundwhich made it eligible for
debt relief in 2005.Both the electricity services (ENEE) and land-line telephone services(HONDUTEL) have been operated by government agencies, with ENEEreceiving heavy subsidies because of chronic financial problems. HONDUTEL,however, is no longer a monopoly, the telecommunication sector havingbeen opened to private-sector companies afterDecember 25,2005; this was
one of the requirements before approving the beginning of CAFTA. There areprice controls onpetrol, and other temporary price controls for basiccommodities are often passed for short periods by theCongress.After years of declining against the U.S. dollar theLempirahas stabilized ataround 19 Lempiras per dollar. In June 2008 the exchange rate betweenUnited States Dollars and Honduran Lempiras was approximately 1 to 18.85.
Water Supply and Sanitation:
Water supply and sanitation in Honduras varies greatly from urban centers to rural villages. Larger population centersgenerally have modernized water treatment and distribution systems,however water quality is often poor due to lack of proper maintenance andtreatment. Rural areas generally have basic drinking water systems withlimited capacity for water treatment. Many urban areas have sewer systemsin place for the collection of wastewater, however proper treatment of
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wastewater is scarce. In rural areas, sanitary facilities are generally limited tolatrines and basic septic pits.Water and sanitation services were historically provided by ServicioAutonomo de Alcantarillas y Aqueductos (SANAA). In 2003, a new "waterlaw" was passed which called for the decentralization of water services. Withthe 2003 law, local communities have the right and responsibility to own,operate, and control their own drinking water and wastewater systems. Sincepassage of the new law, many communities have joined together to addresswater and sanitation issues on a regional basis.Many national and international non-government organizations have ahistory of working on water and sanitation projects in Honduras. Internationalgroups include, but are not limited to, theRed Cross,Rotary Club,Catholic
Relief Services,Water for People,CARE,CESO-SACOandSHH.
In addition, many government organizations working on projects include: theEuropean Union,USAID, theArmy Corps of Engineers,Cooperacion
Andalucia, thegovernment of Japan, and many others.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras
To read more
about drinking water in developing countries, here is a link toan article by
Dr.
Ashok Gadgil, a UC Berkeley senior scientist at LBNL:
You should be able to access if you are connected via UC Berkeley.
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Vaccinations:
Typhoid Tetanusmalariahepatitis A and B You will need to check with your physician about the timing of your vaccinesand check your medical record to see which vaccines you require. (some of you may already have tetanus or hep A). Remember to get vaccinatedsooner rather than later as some shots, such as hep A require twovaccinations a couple of months apart. If you go to the Tang Center, andschedule an appointment stating that you will be traveling abroad toHonduras, they will make it easy for you by preparing a list of vaccinationsyou will need for the country.
Traveler’s Insurance:
For those of you do that do not have Traveler’sInsurance, we can purchase it for $35 through APF travel, the agency that iscoordinating our flights.
What to Expect:
A positive & flexible attitude and sense of adventure arethe first requirements for a meaningful mission experience. If you are onyour first trip to a developing nation you must keep in mind that things donot always work as we are accustomed to, nor as we expect them to. Theinfrastructure in Honduras remains several years behind that of the USA andplans often change. Should inconveniences occur, understanding is alwaysgreatly appreciated. Consider yourself ambassadors and Please be preparedto go with the flow.
Water:
NEVER drink the tap water in Honduras. Bottled water and juices willbe readily available at all times. It is very important to brush your teeth ONLYwith bottled water and to avoid rinsing your toothbrush with anything butbottled water. It is also important to keep your mouth closed whileshowering. The staff at Nuevo Paraiso will take all the necessary precautions
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| Upload Date: | 02/18/2009 |
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