Kenya,
with the help of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) discovered an aquifer in northern Kenya, by some
estimates, containing 66 trillion gallons of water. Annually Kenya only receives
898 billion gallons of water via rain. This number however fluctuates wildly
with Kenya feeling the brunt of climate change. 17 million Kenyans lack a
sufficient water supply 28 million also suffer from malnourishment. This
aquifer could increase life chances for these millions of Kenyans for years to
come.
This
astonishing find was discovered by the use of an “underground mapping project,
GRIDMAP.” The use of technology, commonly seen as the enemy of the environment,
can be used for the betterment of the environment and millions of people’s
lives.
I hold an uncertain optimism at
this news. Hundreds of years ago this sort of discovery was allocated to the
nation of its origin. In this interconnected, globalized world this discovery
is allocated to the world as a whole. One would hope that the U.N would
distribute this vast find to the poor countries of the world. The developed
world however has the ever-important commodity of power in this world; this
power could allow the United States and other developed countries to want a
stake in this resource just as they have done with numerous other African
resources. It is worth restating that Kenya did not discover this aquifer on
its own it still required the help of a global conglomerate of nations. With
hope I believe that this valuable resource will be allocated to those who need
it and not countries already developed.
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