Water Shortage and Solutions in Lima Peru

By Felix Cheong (20342006)

When speaking of survival in an urban setting Lima, Peru is definitely a location worth looking. Lima has the 4th and 5th largest mega slums in the world today due to the dramatic population growth and urbanization going on in that region. The climate in Lima adds to its problems because it has a mild desert climate. The temperature is never too hot or too cold, ranging from around 19°C to 29 °C during the summer, and the climate is greatly affected by global warming and weather fronts from other regions. Rainfall is almost nonexistent in this city producing an average annual precipitation of only 26mm, and even less in the mountainous regions. These low annual rainfalls and sudden changes in climate causes a lot of problems including droughts, water shortage and crop failure, making it very difficult for the citizens of Lima to earn an honest living or even acquire the basic necessities for life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/images/country/barcharts/TT001940_lima.gif

The root cause to the poor living conditions in parts of Lima is the unavailability of potable water, leading to disease and famine. A technology that can help attack this issue is the portable water filtration system. These small devices use UV radiation from the sun and from the device itself to inhibit and sterilize microbes in contaminated water. This allows for any fresh water from wells or even puddles to be disinfected for drinking. This decontamination is applicable for eliminating dangerous bacteria and viruses to prevent Dysentery, Cholera, Typhoid Fever and many other diseases. The device is lightweight, easy to carry as well as effective. It is already being used by many third world countries in need of clean drinking water, making it a necessity for survival in Lima since a majority of the water supply comes from contaminated ground water.

http://www.aqua-sun-intl.com/UV-Light-Disinfection.htm

There are other solutions that tie into water filtration, which in theory can have a positive impact in the water conservation, agricultural growth, and wet waste disposal in Lima. One factor that can help with the issue of conservation is the implementation of grey-water recycling systems like the ones described by Myles in an earlier post. These systems reuse the water from certain aspects of the home such as the sink, laundry and bath. It recycles the “grey-water” for the use of waste disposal and irrigation. This can greatly reduce the water used in residential areas. This grey-water recycling system is different from rain water collection because it is using already existing water for different purposes. Lima can only benefit from this system due to the complete lack of rain, making rain collection impossible and impractical. The benefits of this type of water recycling is two fold, since the grey water for irrigation can help deplete the water normally required for agricultural uses. It also helps fertilize the soil, and the excess can be filtered through the portable UV filtration system for drinking.

http://www.greywater.com/greysystem.jpg

The grey-water system in combination with the introduction of a plant called Sorghum can help both the water shortage and crop failure in Lima. Sorghum is a type of drought-resistant crop that can survive and grow off very little water. It also thrives best at a temperature close to 25°C, making it perfect for Lima’s desert climate. The supplementary irrigation style that can be given by the grey-water system is perfect for this crop, meaning that it can go for weeks with a minimal amount of water. Sorghum also has many different applications from making bread to pasteurizing cattle, making it one of the top five most important cereal grains in the world. By using grey-water to irrigate Sorghum, Lima can save a great deal of water and thus conserve for future droughts but still produce enough agriculture for sustenance. All these factors can allow for survival in the hash conditions of Lima.

http://nybiofuels.info/generalInformation/biomass/PublishingImages/crop04-7sorghum.jpg

Sources:



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