In Lima, Peru, over 635,000 residents lack access to running water, relying on tanker trucks for supply. This situation poses serious health risks and highlights significant disparities in access to resources, as demonstrated by the stark contrast between neighborhoods separated by a wall. Expert analysis points to urban planning and priority shortcomings in addressing the needs of the urban poor.
In Lima, Peru, many residents, particularly those in poorer areas, face the harsh reality of lacking access to running water. Despite being the world’s second largest desert city, with over 10 million inhabitants, a significant group resides in dry hills where water delivery by tanker trucks is their only option.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Computer Science, more than 635,000 people in Lima do not have running water, particularly those living in informal settlements high above the city, where existing water and sewer lines do not reach. In neighborhoods such as San Juan de Miraflores, blue tanker trucks deliver water weekly at best, leaving it in large, unhygienic drums on the streets.
Residents like Catalina Naupa express significant challenges, including health issues caused by contaminated water, and limited access during the winter due to muddy roads. The city’s water utility, Sedapal, provides each family with approximately 260 gallons of water per week, averaging just 30 liters per person per day, notably below the United Nations’ recommended minimum of 50-100 liters.
Experts like Antonio Ioris highlight that while climate change exacerbates the situation, policymakers prioritize other issues over improving water access for the poor. Poor urban planning compounds the lack of infrastructure, forcing individuals to migrate to the city and complicating their access to essential services, such as water.
Many residents resort to creative solutions to manage their limited water supply, often paying significantly more than those connected directly to the utility grid. Furthermore, inequalities are starkly visualized in the “wall of shame,” a concrete barrier separating the poorer San Juan de Miraflores from the affluent neighborhood of Santiago de Surco, where residents enjoy an average of 200 liters of water daily.
In this context, voices like Cristel Mejia resonate, as she operates a soup kitchen on the impoverished side, reflecting on the significant disparity in living conditions between the two worlds divided by the wall.
The issue of water access in Lima, particularly in impoverished neighborhoods, underscores a critical challenge faced by many residents. Despite the city’s geographic advantages, a significant portion of the population is denied basic necessities due to infrastructural neglect and socioeconomic disparities. Experts emphasize the need for targeted policymaking and improved urban planning to address these pressing inequalities, ensuring all citizens have access to clean and sufficient water.
Original Source: homenewshere.com
