Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene September 2018 Vol.13 No.4 | Page 9

NEWS in brief
PepsiCo Foundation Commits $4.2 Million to
WaterAid to Increase Access to Clean Water in
India
Global Highlights
from an upcoming compilation of case studies on water
security and violent conflict by World Wildlife Fund
gave overviews of challenges in Nigeria and Iran and
recommendations for U.S. engagement.
The lack of good governance is a “striking commonality”
across the arc, said Julia McQuaid, senior researcher and
project director at the CNA Corporation. The failure of
governments to address growing water scarcity, relieve
drought conditions, and defuse communal tensions has
contributed to a rise in insurgent groups and migration.
Nigeria, Bone Dry and on Fire
The PepsiCo Foundation announced today a $4.2 million
grant to WaterAid, a leading international water and
sanitation non-governmental organization, to provide
clean water access1 to communities in southern India
facing extreme water shortages, specifically in Palakkad
(Kerala), Nelamangala (Karnakata), and Sri City (Andhra
Pradesh).
In northern Nigeria, 2.6 million people have been
displaced since last summer due to a famine “that’s
only becoming fully realized now and receiving national
attention,” said Marcus King, John O. Rankin associate
professor and director of International Affairs Program at
Water scarcity and the sustainable management of water
resources is a critical challenge that India is grappling
with. This grant from the PepsiCo Foundation seeks
to implement solutions that will help increase access
to clean water for more than 200,000 people; build
community and government capacity to manage water
resources; and educate community members to adopt
sustainable sanitation and hygiene practices.
As a result of current water use habits, population
growth and the effects of climate change, a staggering
four billion people are affected by water scarcity and by
2050, global demand for water will increase by as much
as 50 percent. Two-thirds of the world’s population
currently lives in areas that experience water scarcity
for at least one month a year and about half of those
affected live in China and India. As a result of current
water use habits, population growth and the effects
of climate change, a staggering four billion people are
affected by water scarcity and by 2050, global demand
for water will increase by as much as 50 percent. Two-
thirds of the world’s population currently lives in areas
that experience water scarcity for at least one month a
year and about half of those affected live in China and
India.
Water and the Rise of Insurgencies in the “Arc of
Instability”
Water scarcity has contributed to an “arc of instability”
characterized by conflict and displacement that stretches
from West Africa to the Middle East, said a panel of
experts at the Wilson Center on March 1. Two authors
Africa
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• September
• August 2018
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