A young Anishinaabe water protector speaks up for clean water
Inspired by boil-water notices she saw as a child, Autumn Peltier has spent her youth calling on leaders to protect water and guarantee safe drinking water for First Nations.
One problem. Many solutions.
Water
How do people secure clean, safe water?
Different communities face the same problem and find different answers, shaped by their own resources, knowledge and context. No approach here is presented as the right one for everywhere.
Side by side
| Who | Where | How it started | Scale | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Peltier | Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada | At about eight years old she attended a ceremony at Serpent River First Nation and noticed signs warning people to boil their water. Asking why became the start of her advocacy. | International | Documented |
| Abel Cruz Gutiérrez | Lima, Peru | By his own account, Cruz noticed that the plastic mesh fencing around his home on the edge of Lima was collecting droplets of moisture from the fog. He began experimenting with mesh as a way of catching water. | City | Documented |
| Chewang Norphel | Leh, Ladakh, India | Norphel noticed that a tap left running near his home through winter built up a large block of ice, while a fast-flowing stream nearby never froze. He reasoned that slowing water down would make it freeze. | Regional | Documented |
Catching fog for water above Lima's hillside settlements
Abel Cruz and his movement put up nylon mesh nets on the hills around Lima to catch coastal fog, giving water-poor settlements a small, local supply.
Slowing meltwater to store ice for spring sowing in Ladakh
Retired engineer Chewang Norphel builds low-cost 'artificial glaciers' that freeze winter stream water near Ladakhi villages so it melts in time for spring sowing.
What can they learn from one another? Read the "Copy this" section of each story to compare materials, costs and risks.