Youth for Water Action (YUWA)
Water scarcity affects developing countries in several debilitating ways. It is a basic resource which has been exploited by a privileged few to the point where it is inaccessible and unavailable for millions around the world. Whether it is riverine pollution, dried-up lakes or contaminated water, we have struggled to regulate development in a way which makes it possible to easily address these pressing situations. 12% of the total population in India lives with ‘Zero Underground Water level’ and another 100 million people are projected to be affected by severe water scarcity by the end of 2021.
We believe that water accessibility requires for us to adopt indeginous methods of water conservation to effectively manage spatiotemporal demands for water, while also devising novel and innovative approaches to tackle this issue in a way which accommodates the nuances of this crisis. Youth for Water Action initiative aims to engage enthusiastic young people including researchers, teachers and educators in order to promote youth participation in a way which a) increases their understanding of the water crisis and b) provides them the space to aid and develop solutions.
As part of this endeavour, SEED India successfully organized Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) in India during 2006-08. The SJWP is the world’s most prestigious award presented to a high school student for a water-research project annually during the world water week in Stockholm. We were grateful to have hosted a diverse group of students from around the country who presented unique projects to address different issues of water conservation, preservation, accessibility and more.
Saurabh Kumar’s ‘Innovative Water Purification Technique Using Moringa Oleifera Seeds’, developed to supply safe drinking water at affordable prices in peri-urban localities of Lucknow, bagged the first prize and represented India at the global level. Saurabh used seed extracts of drumstick (Moringa oleifera, locally known as Sehjan) to act as a natural coagulant which could then be used to purify water with high levels of turbidity. The coagulated particles of crushed and powdered drumstick seeds sink to the bottom, leaving clear, clean water which can be poured out. The trees of drumstick could be grown easily in the communities and the process required minimal investment.
It is these stories of success which inspire us to work harder and involve a larger number of young citizens in this collective battle against water exploitation.