In Lima, Peru, over 635,000 residents live without running water, relying on infrequent deliveries from tanker trucks. These deliveries are often inadequate and contaminated, causing health issues among residents. The disparity between rich and poor neighborhoods exacerbates the water crisis, highlighting urgent needs for policy reforms and attention to infrastructural disparities across the city.
In Lima, the capital of Peru and home to over 10 million individuals, access to running water remains a distant aspiration for many residents in impoverished areas. The city, situated in a desert and bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, grapples with a severe water scarcity, despite being traversed by three rivers and possessing a water table. Approximately 635,000 inhabitants lack running water, especially those residing in informal settlements that remain unreachable by essential utility infrastructures.
Water delivery by blue tanker trucks provides the only source of water for many families in districts like San Juan de Miraflores. However, the frequency of water delivery can be unreliable, as trucks come only once a week or less, leaving water in large, unhygienic drums along the dusty roads. Local resident Catalina Naupa reported health issues such as stomach cramps and migraines due to contamination, highlighting the precarious nature of their water supply, especially during winter when muddy conditions hinder truck access.
Each family receives approximately one cubic meter of water weekly, amounting to about 30 liters (eight gallons) per person daily, which is significantly below the UN’s recommended minimum of 50-100 liters. The situation is exacerbated by ongoing concerns of future water rationing, as noted by Jeremy Robert of France’s Institute for Development Research, worsened by climate change impacts predicted to decrease water levels in mountain ranges.
Antonio Ioris, a geography professor from Cardiff University, emphasizes that dwindling water resources are not the sole challenge; poor access for marginalized communities highlights a lack of priority by policymakers. Urban planning failures and rural issues have driven many residents to migrate to Lima, thereby intensifying the water crisis.
In some regions, unsurfaced roads make it difficult for water trucks to reach residents, forcing them to pay exorbitantly—six times the cost of those connected to the municipal water grid. Interestingly, a stark contrast in water access is evident at the boundary of richer neighborhoods like Santiago de Surco, where residents use up to 200 liters of water daily, illustrating a clear divide. Cristel Mejia, who operates a soup kitchen, remarked, “Surco seems like another world,” reflecting on the disparity in living conditions on either side of the so-called “wall of shame.”
In conclusion, the crisis surrounding water access in impoverished areas of Lima illustrates a complex interplay of social, environmental, and political challenges. With a considerable portion of the population relying on contaminated water from tanker trucks, health hazards remain prevalent. The disparity in water access between wealthier neighborhoods and impoverished districts underscores urgent needs for improved urban planning and government priorities to address the fundamental needs of all residents. With climate change looming, the situation requires immediate attention and strategic interventions to ensure equitable water access in the future.
Original Source: www.france24.com
