Climate Change 1

The Possibilities of Science in Developing Countries

Introduction

My senior project involves building a flood channel at Airport Playground, otherwise

known as Rotary Park. I developed this idea when I went to play tennis, and the only available

court was a flooded court due to weather from three days prior. The idea of engineering a

drainage system that the Town Council would approve of, as well as performing manual labor,

appealed to me. Regarding my senior research investigation, I would like to delve into the

problems of contaminated drinking water and how this issue must be improved worldwide.

Contamination is problematic; in fact, in the coming decade, more than half of the world’s

population will be in stressed areas that need clean drinking water (“Drinking Water”). The

typical human can last only three to four days without water, and in areas with polluted water,

even fewer (Johnson). My opposition may include people who believe in survival of the fittest,

as well as those who seek wealth in the form of dismissing the needy; however, I hope such

views demolish. I believe a shift to a more willing to help mindset will occur in the near future

that will eliminate most closed mindsets similar to these two viewpoints. Also, I believe altruism

needs to start taking effect in the minds of many people, so humankind will help those in need,

locally or worldwide. I want to develop a greater understanding of what humanity needs, and

how science might guide society to betterment. The overarching issue is climate change. Climate

change “is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place”

(National). My essential question is “How does climate change affect food and water supplies?”

People in developing countries such as America, simply turn on a faucet for their water. This

accessibility is not a worldwide privilege or liberty. Governments have many alarming issues to
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focus on today, but I believe a priority area is the right to clean water and nutritious food for all

people, whether in developing or underdeveloped countries

Literature Review

In her article from 2018, “Industrial Development and Challenges of Water Pollution in

Coastal Areas: The Case of Surat, India”, associate professor and writer Dr. Neeru Bansal seeks

to uncover the reason for how industrialism generates pollution at a magnitude hazardous for the

surrounding life and civilization. Dr. Bansal began by examining the beginning of the

industrialism era in India, and how the onslaught of liberalization allowed industries to attract to

coastal areas. One of the coastal areas, Surat became an interest of research for Dr. Bansal. Dr.

Bansal states that with industrial growth comes pollution. In the case of Surat, the severity of the

pollution of these industries in rivers are on the same levels of sewage. Dr. Bansal routinely

criticizes industries that pollute creeks and rivers as well as unsatisfactory government

regulations that allow unabating pollution from these industries.

Utilizing different sources and compiling evidence, Dr. Bansal describes five graphics

which further illustrate her concerns with the area of Surat. The first data table explains the size

of each factory in the area and the color corresponding to the factories based on the amount of

pollution. The factories sizes were grouped into small, medium, and large and the colors red,

orange, and green signified the amount of pollution. This data reveals that small factories are

responsible for over half of the major/red pollution in Surat. An image appears after the table

also indicating that the creeks located nearby are polluted. Dr. Bansal notes the tests for clean

drinking water, required by regulations, typically include only three of five tests pH, NH₃-N,

BOD, TCOL, and DO. Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) measures
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these levels of chemical contaminants in water and can verify the safety of that water. The next

few data tables explain what typical levels of these chemicals are in drinkable water. Some of the

different solutes found in the tested creek waters, especially NH₃-N, highly toxic to aquatic life,

were within a critical parameter, and only the pH of the tested samples were within regulation.

These unsafe sources of water develop into even bigger dangers with flooding. Dr. Bansal

concludes the examination of Surat’s water systems with remarks on the need to eradicate water

pollution through stricter enforcement of regulations. She emphasizes that this dire situation will

worsen if such pollution remains left untreated. The information through data tables validates the

clear, actual severity of Surat’s water pollution. It exposes the people who own the factories, who

contribute to the majority of polluted water.

Water contamination can occur anywhere, even in the United States (U.S.). In his

research letter, “Contaminated Stream Water as Source for Escherichia Coli O157 Illness in

Children”, published in 2017, research scientist supervisor and journalist, William S. Probert

discussed how contamination in water is a recent occurrence in the U.S.Probert, along with Glen

M. Miller, and Katya E. Ledin, all part of the Napa-Solano-Yolo-Marin County Public Health

Laboratory, recall an incident of water contamination. An abstract precedes the letter that

contextualizes the Escherichia coli (E-Coli) water outbreak in May 2016 as a foundation for

information later discussed. Probert begins by explaining the rarity of the situation that occurred

in the U.S., and how those people affected, actually became infected. The research reported four

cases in which patients’ symptoms ranged from bloody diarrhea to hemolytic uremic syndrome,

a condition that destroys blood vessels resulting in kidney failure.

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Once informed of this issue, Probert and his colleagues stated how they began water

sampling over a fifteen week period. During this time they isolated and observed the bacteria

level of each sample looking for similar cases. Probert declared the issue as non point source

pollution from E-Coli and was resolved shortly after through finding the fecal matter that was

contaminating the stream, removing the source and closing off the stream till sanitary. The value

of the information comes from the understanding that smaller issues are being dealt within steady

countries such as the case of this E-coli outbreak, and are allowing dire situations like water

pollution in developing countries to develop further.

Developing countries lead the world in disease and death rates due to issues such as water

pollution, food shortages, and spreading of disease. With these worsening issues, those

inhabiting these areas are in danger, and of all the people who live there, children are the first to

be affected. Published in 2016, “Implications of Climate Change for Children in Developing

Countries”, author Rema Hanna, professor of South-East Asia Studies at Harvard University’s

John F. Kennedy School of Government, and Paulina Olivan, assistant professor in the

Department of Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, delve into climate

change and its profound effect on children.

Climate change impacts water supply, causing shortages in developing countries.

Impacted by these water shortages, civilians are forced to migrate to survive; however, with

finite already water resources causes an increase in the rates of diarrhea. Diarrhea is one of the

top five leading causes of death in Africa and SouthEast Asia, causing over 300,000 deaths a

year in Africa alone. Increasing temperatures will cause shifts in the lands ecosystems creating

water shortages from droughting. The authors also states that climate changes will result in other
 Climate Change 5

issues such as vector borne illnesses --illnesses carried by mosquitoes-- lack of education, and

mental illness. Increases in temperature link to increases in area for mosquitos to inhabit,

whereas lack of education and mental illness stem from labor market scares. Higher temperatures

cause less work selection and create inflation with less commerce resulting in more children

having to go immediately into work with their parents instead of schooling for survival purposes.

Hanna explains that even Post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia, depression, and other disorders

are becoming more common due to the varying issues of having close relatives having higher

mortality rates, less nutrients and not enough water.The author’s information and examples

suggest climate change needs to be combatted to protect the onslaught of possible issues

aforementioned. This situation should provoke a sense of emergency for humans.

Safe drinking water in developing countries grows scarcer every year due to climate

issues, but organizations began to find solutions to combat this problem. Organizations like the

Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) are beginning to implement solutions to many of the

worlds environmental issues, one of which is the water crisis. Published in 2002, the report “Safe

Drinking Water” by TWAS, an international autonomous scientific organization with over 2,000

current scientists, examines the plausible solutions to unsanitary water. Although 15 years old,

the information is still relevant for today’s issues. TWAS discusses the initial ways to combat the

diminishing drinkable water levels through four solutions; to seek new water sources; save and

redistribute water supplies; reduce demands; and recycle. One of the more significant solutions

involved the reed bed recycling system. This system allows for an eco friendly way to filter

polluted water through the reeds capturing the waste products of the water, dispensing clean

water out, and has been implemented in many countries boast successful results. Other simpler
 Climate Change 6

possibilities for water purification involved the effect of adding chlorine in water which makes it

drinkable. This process kills bacteria in the water because chlorine is a disinfectant, reducing

diseases. One other solution described involved the use of sunlight in recycled bottles to be

penetrated by the sun's ultraviolet rays to kill the harmful bacteria and disinfect the water. The

two simple solutions require less cost and are sufficient in countries where implemented;

however, more sustainable long term solutions are necessary. The organization exclaims the

world’s capability to implement solutions on these with water contamination through science and

resources from helping countries.

Water pollution, one of the largest issues resulting from effects of climate change is

comparable to food insecurity Rhadia Bouchakour, a graduate of the University of Bilda,

Algeria, who wrote “Sustainable food security in low-income and developing countries”, and

published it in 2018. In it, she accentuates the necessity of food security. She begins by stressing

the issue of rising food shortages by stating that two in every seven people in the world suffer

from food shortages. She reasons that climate change, infrastructures, research, and political

issues all contribute to the world’s food shortages. Second rate infrastructure impacts farmers of

low income countries causing disadvantages in their productivity. Obstacles to their productivity

include outdated technology, financial limitations, and even water shortages. The increasing

temperatures from climate change are responsible for the diminishing rate of good soil, and

many developing areas cannot adapt to these problems with bad harvests. Bouchakour gives

different solutions that will benefit these areas. With government funding, possible solutions

include implementing modern techniques in farming, having country-specific R&D departments,

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building storage facilities, and restoring water sources for better soil. Any or all of these

solutions can bring significant benefits to this growing issue.

While food security is one of the major issues in developing countries; science has hope

in one crop, sweet potatoes. In an article published on April 30, 2019, “Can Sweet Potatoes Save

the World?”, North Carolina University examines how sweet potatoes can reduce famine in

Africa, as well as other areas in need. The university states that sweet potatoes can be genetically

modified to have different crop patterns and specifications for soil, called variants to have better

harvests in many different soils across the world. Sweet potatoes have existed in these areas of

Africa like Uganda; however, these species of sweet potato do not impact positively to these

communities. Other issues with these sweet potatoes include weevils that are attracted to these

variants of potatoes ruin the harvest, and the low richness soil do not support these potatoes well.

The university states that progress in the genetic altering of a variant of sweet potato is almost

finished. North Carolina University developed genetic changes in the crop to allow for better

survival rate against the weevils and crop richness, and progress continues to find the best crops

for the areas dealing with food shortages. North Carolina University states that the vitamins and

minerals in sweet potatoes, especially vitamin A, are vital with areas of Africa and their

deficiencies with vitamins. The university states that selling these engineered sweet potatoes will

restabilize economies and the financial growth of farmers, as buyers gain food security. This

information communicates the importance of scientific advancement and engineering to help

reduce issues like the food crisis in third world countries, but not only in easily susceptible areas,

but in the whole world.

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Conclusion

It is disheartening living in a developed country with a privileged life that I have been

granted while others at the same age in developing countries with non-comparable lifestyles. The

notion of children dying from diseases, helpless by changes in climate worsening each year

needs to change. My essential question of “How does climate change affect food and water

supplies?” is answered by explaining that countries with issues caused by climate change,

especially in developing countries that can not recover are starting to receive help from

organizations. Scientists from all over the world are engineering clever ways to combat these

issues such as genetically modifying crops to grow almost anywhere. Water pollution testing

occurs over and over again with no concrete way to solve this issue yet. The lives of billions of

people are affected by the naivete of high-income countries, although establishing some support,

still are unconcerned with their waste. Children are killed each year due to climate change

conditions, and most of them are under the age of 5. The future generations of the world is

affected by those who make it past five having to deal with mental health, weather, undrinkable

water, heat, and unstable education. Affected parents struggle with economic shortages due to

climate change ruining harvests, and taking away their children’s future education to make them

work for survival. Climate change is to be dealt with together; It affects everyone. Climate

change affects the economy by ruining lands all around the world of crop, cities and many

problems are not solved; however, with outside help, many of these issues such as water

pollution and food shortages can become mitigated. Science has designed solutions; the rest

revolves around those wanting to help.

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Works Consulted

Bansal, Neeru. “Industrial Development and Challenges of Water Pollution in Coastal Areas:

The Case of Surat, India.” ​Industrial Development and Challenges of Water Pollution in

Coastal Areas: The Case of Surat, India​, IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental

Science, 2018, iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/120/1/012001.

Bouchakour, Radhia. “Sustainable Food Security in Low-Income and Developing Countries.”

International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development,​ edited by

Mohamed Nabil Bersali, vol. 18, Intellect, 2018, pp. 151–167.

“Can Sweet Potatoes Save the World?” ​Phys.org​, 30 Apr. 2019,

phys.org/news/2019-04-sweet-potatoes-world.html.

“Drinking-Water.” ​World Health Organization​, 14 June 2019,

www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water​.

Hanna, Rema, and Paulina Oliva. “Implications of Climate Change for Children in Developing

Countries.” ​Future of Children​, vol. 26, no. 1, Spring 2016, pp. 115–132. ​EBSCOhost​,

doi:10.1353/foc.2016.0006.

Johnson, Jon. “How Long Can You Live without Water? Facts and Effects.” ​Medical News

Today​, MediLexicon International, 14 Mar. 2019,

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325174.php​.

Probert, William S., et al. “Contaminated Stream Water as Source for Escherichia Coli O157

Illness in Children.” ​Emerging Infectious Diseases​, vol. 23, no. 7, July 2017, pp.

1216–1218. ​EBSCOhost​, doi:10.3201/eid2307.170226.

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“Safe Drinking Water.” ​Report of the Third World Academy of Sciences​, Third World Academy

of Sciences, 2002, twas.org/sites/default/files/safedrinkingwater.pdf.