WASH SERIES: Can Entrepreneurs Make a Difference?
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This is the second of a three-part series focusing on water sanitation and hygiene (WASH). If you haven't read the first-part click here.
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, replaced the Millennium Development Goals which expired this year. The new goals aim to shape political policy globally for the next fifteen years. So what’s on the agenda post-2015?
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, replaced the Millennium Development Goals which expired this year. The new goals aim to shape political policy globally for the next fifteen years. So what’s on the agenda post-2015?
The focus of this post is on goal number 6: “ensure
availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
Now that is one big, hairy problem.
If the world if to achieve this goal by 2030, then all of us
are going to have to start looking differently at how we might tackle this issue.
According to WaterAid, there remains over 650 million
people without access to safe water. This is closely linked to the issue of
sanitation which effects 1 in 3 of the world’s population.
So is their growth for market-based solutions in this area?
Here is a list of 5 entrepreneurs looking at the WASH crisis:
1 1) DayOneResponse
Inspired by the earthquake in Haiti, Tricia
Compas-Markman decided to create the DayOne Waterbag. The bag has been used in “disaster
zones in 21 countries as an all-in-one solution to provide clean water and
prevent water-borne diseases”.
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| Image credit: DayOne Response |
2 2) LifeStraw
Lifestraw is a portable, compact high volume
filter for camping, group hikes and expeditions. The straw makes water
contaminated with bacteria, viruses and protozoa safe to drink. LifeStraw also
ensure that one school child in a developing country receives safe drinking
water for an entire school year with every product bought.
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| Image credit:matteroftrust |
Filled with toilet-humour, Who Gives A Crap
makes 100% recycled toilet paper and donate 50% of profits to build toilets in
the developing world.
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| Image credit:ispyplumpie |
4 4) Sarvajal
Sarvajal is an Indian company, whose name means
water for all. In 2013, they launched a series of solar powered ATMs that
dispense water. Sarvajal purifies ground water at local plants and then
distributes the water through ATMs.
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| Image Credit: morningflash |
5 5) NextDrop
Addressing the problem of a constant water
supply in many South Asian nations, NextDrop offers “a text service that tells users exactly when the water
will run each day.” Their customers are utility companies who pay to receive data
from NextDrop allowing users to enjoy the service for free.
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| Image credit:Forbes |
Do you know of more businesses tackling water,
sanitation and hygiene issues? Share them on twitter @DanushiPeiris
Until next time,
Danushi
Sources:
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