[afro-nets] Knowledge about solar disinfection of water (SODIS) in southern Sudan

["Rosemary Cairns" <rosemary.1cairns@community.royalroads.ca>]

I recently saw an IRIN News story datelined Juba that talked about the pressing need for safe household water for people living with HIV/AIDS in southern Sudan. I was surprised that it did not seem that people were using SODIS, a Swiss technology developed more than a decade ago which has been proven effective in disinfecting water on a household basis using the sun and clear plastic bottles (environmentally friendly, too, as a way of recycling those bottles). It seemed the focus was on providing tablets to make the water safe, whereas SODIS uses solar power, which is free to all. I only learned about SODIS recently, as part of my Hopebuilding research, but it occurred to me - after reading the IRIN story - that if peacekeepers and others working in southern Sudan knew about and promoted SODIS, it would make a noticeable difference in safe water available to households at relatively little cost. Two million people in 30 countries use SODIS, for providing safe water on a household basis (other strategies are needed for larger scale water purification). The website is 
http://www.sodis.ch/

Rosemary Cairns, CPF
MA Human Security and Peacebuilding
mailto:rosemary.1cairns@community.royalroads.ca