NGO opens in Tokyo to improve global water, sanitation and hygiene
CHARITY
WATERAID / LAYTON THOMPSON
Turning On the Tap
NGO opens in Tokyo to improve global water, sanitation and hygiene
WATERAID / ZUTE LIGHTFOOT
The NGO helps local organisations build boreholes.
By Julian Ryall
• 783mn in world without safe water; 2.5bn have poor sanitation
• 700,000 kids die annually from diarrhoea due to unclean water
• Charity builds wells, toilets; drills boreholes; improves hygiene
In October 1887, British engineer Henry Spencer Palmer completed work on the first modern waterworks system in Japan. It brought clean drinking water to the 87 households that made up Yokohama. In addition, it laid the groundwork for the coastal village to grow into the thriving modern city that it is today.
The Yokohama Waterworks Bureau last year marked the 125th anniversary of the occasion with a ceremony attended by representatives of the British Embassy Tokyo and the mayor of Yokohama. Also present was Kaoru Takahashi, the Japan representative of British aid organisation
WaterAid, which is bringing the water wheel full circle.
“ We only opened our [ Japan ] office last August and were registered as a legal entity in February. But we have already made progress and have high hopes for our organisation here”, Takahashi told BCCJ ACUMEN.
“ In terms of bilateral aid, the Japanese government is still the largest donor in the world for the water and sanitation sector”, she explained.“ We believe it will be helpful if WaterAid can provide information about poor communities of the developing countries in which we work, so that Japan remains a major contributor to water and sanitation projects”.
Set up in the UK in July 1981, WaterAid is today one of the world’ s most respected non-profit organisations dedicated to dealing with water, sanitation and hygiene issues.
The organisation currently operates in 27 countries— primarily in Africa and southern Asia— to combat the problem
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