Calgary NGO: The Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology

The Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) is a Calgary-based NGO that trains other organizations operating in the developing world on ways to improve water quality and basic sanitation at a grassroots level. Last year marked several milestones for CAWST as it celebrated its 10th anniversary, a $6-million grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the appointment of a new CEO, Shauna Curry. We caught up with Curry to learn why we should all be making waves about water.

The need is great

“Over half the world’s population lives without safe water and sanitation, and almost a billion people walk more than one kilometre to get their water,” says Curry.

Unsafe water fuels the poverty cycle

In communities without clean water, chronic health problems abound, resulting in less productivity and income. “Clean water is essential for infants and mothers to survive, for children to go to school and for parents to work,” says Curry.

Solutions are simple

“The simple act of leaving water to settle overnight can reduce pathogens by 50 per cent,” says Curry, while low-cost treatment technologies, such as biosand filters — made of concrete or plastic and a mixture of sand and gravel — are inexpensive and easy to construct in rural areas.

Water education helps empower women in the developing world

“Women in poverty are almost inevitably the ones responsible for water,” says Curry. “When these women understand the benefits of safe water for their families, they become impassioned to make a difference in their own lives and that of their communities. In this way, water education sparks action and transforms these women into leaders.”