Living with Dirty Water -- Arsenic Pollution in India and Grassroots Cooperation of Miyazaki University (February 2009)

Living with Dirty Water -- Arsenic Pollution in India and Grassroots Cooperation of Miyazaki University (February 2009)

In the late 2000s, water pollution was attracting attention around the world as a serious environmental issue. In the Bengal region of India, in particular, health hazards caused by arsenic in groundwater were widespread, causing skin diseases and internal organ disorders. The University of Miyazaki in Japan and the Asian Arsenic Network (AAN), a non-profit organization, were established in the region. They received 50 million yen in grassroots technical cooperation from JICA to conduct field surveys and implement water source countermeasures. Through repeated dialogues with local residents, they selected alternative well drilling sites based on their understanding of the distribution of contaminated wells. While gaining the understanding of local residents, the project aimed to improve water quality and establish a self-reliant management system. This support was based on empathy and reflection on the pollution problems that Japan had experienced in the past, and was not a o
ne-way transfer of technology by an industrialized country, but rather cooperation based on mutual learning together. Every word exchanged around a well in a village in India became a proof of trust that transcended national borders.