Water Pollution in Zambia
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Abstract
Introduction Water in Zambia, is not equally provided to everyone. For example, out of the population of about 13 million in Zambia, about 5 million do not have access to clean water. This also applies to sanitation in Zambia; about 7 million of Zambians do not have access to sanitation facilities. In Zambia, water pollution has been seriously affecting the life of humans, plants as well as animals. The eco-system of rivers, streams and lakes is also getting deteriorated due to the contamination of water, through various sources. This condition also leads to the outbreak of numerous diseases, majority of them being lethal and contagious. Although certain natural processes may cause some of the water pollution, however, human activity is the largest cause of our streams, rivers and lakes getting polluted. We get this water from groundwater sources, rivers, and lakes, and after using it, and often contaminating it, most of this water gets back into the rivers, lakes, and streams. The used water from agricultural and industrial practices as well as household use creates wastewater, also referred to as sewage. Zambian urban and rural water sources For both urban and rural areas gets their water from groundwater sources by means of boreholes or dug-up wells, also they get their water from rivers, lakes, streams and pools in plains by means of water fetching by buckets or a well-articulated water system by a utility company assigned to supply water to communities at a prescribed fee. The utility companies have introduced water kiosks where, community members can access water at an afford cost and close to their settlements. This is in view of reducing in the distances that people walk to fetch water from river banks or streams. Sources of water pollution There are a number of means in which water gets contaminated. The most common ones are as follows; human activity is the largest cause of our streams, rivers and lakes getting polluted. The water from underground, streams, rivers and lakes are used by humans in unsafe way. The used water from agricultural and industrial practices as well as household use creates wastewater, also referred to as sewage. The companies drain off the sewage in large quantities into rivers and other water bodies. If this is allowed to flow back into water systems without being treated, it causes pollution, which results in harming both humans as well as animal life. Water also gets polluted when there is a runoff of rainwater from industrial, agricultural, and urban areas, which flow directly through storm water drains into water systems without any treatment. Another cause of pollution is dumping litter into streams, rivers, and lakes. People living near these water bodies have a tendency of dumping such litter as cardboard, newspapers, foam, plastic packaging, aluminum, glass, and so. The rising use of synthetic organic substances that are disposed of carelessly causes water pollution, oil and fuel spills causes’ water pollution and acid Rain caused by the burning of Fossil, cause water pollution. Health hazards of water pollution Polluted water is highly contagious to humans and causes a lot of health-related problem. Drinking untreated water nowadays causes your body immediately to react to it. You will get a stomach ache at the least. Water-borne diseases account for the deaths of 3,575,000 people a year worldwide, and the majority of these are children. Infectious diseases can be spread through contaminated water. Some of these water-borne diseases are Typhoid, Cholera, Paratyphoid Fever, Dysentery, Jaundice, and