Most of the citizens in the United States have been affected by the coverage of the devastation in Haiti resulting from the recent earthquake and aftershocks. The loss is raw and devastating. As a water provider I was struck by a recent article by the associated press on the relief recovery and staging at the Haiti Airport outside of Port Au Prince. The article covers much of what anyone would expect. The airport is not designed to accommodate the amount of air traffic arriving with medical aid and supplies, etc. Within all the expected facts and figures on landings per hour, is a striking sentence and an important reminder for those who have chosen this profession. The U.S. military coordinator, who has taken the role of relief air traffic controller, is discussing the priority landing schedule and simply says “planes carrying water and water purification land first.”
This sentence was probably missed by most readers. Those that noticed may even have thought, “well of course. You can’t live without water. We learned that in kindergarten.” As an individual who chooses everyday to work in this field because of a deep sense of purpose, I sadly wonder how many of us who learned this years ago, live it today. Haiti is an epic reminder of what the absence of water can mean (rioting in the street, desperation, violence, and even death) just some of what the Haitian people have suffered. In the U.S. we have had glimpses of the importance of clean available water: severe droughts, recent floods, and Hurricane Katrina are just a few. In the face of tragedy I believe people help and people learn what is really valuable. The people of Haiti need water before medical supplies, before shelter, and even before food. It is a good reminder for us to appreciate what we have as citizens of this country and it starts with and is built upon the water and wastewater treatment and conveyance infrastructure.
Next time I am asked why I choose this profession I think the answer is simple “water lands first.”
By: Kathy Nguyen, Cobb County - GA
For more information on water issues in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/EmergencyMedicine/EmergencyMedicine/17997
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/haiti-earthquake-interview-100120
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/19117
