Water is the one natural resource that every living being needs for survival. While it is exciting to see an increased awareness in water and sanitation issues across Canada, there is still a genuine water crisis facing First Nation communities that needs attention. As of January 31, 2012 there were 131 First Nation communities under some type of drinking water advisory, and that just scratches the surface.
To address these advisories, and other water and sanitation-related issues in First Nation communities, we have developed the Water Voices project. The mission of Water Voices is to drive innovative low-cost solutions to improve quality of life. The project is composed of three inter-related components that work together to engage, promote, and improve First Nation access to water and sanitation. The innovative use of technology by Water Voices addresses a global need to enhance geo-spatial access to water data.
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Community Engagement
First Nation community members experiencing water related issues can send an SMS message to Water Voices. Our messaging platform will then geo‐code their location, put it on a map, and tweet a message describing the issue to relevant Canadian politicians and media. Water Voices is currently working on developing an integrated voice to SMS infrastructure to service those communities/community members that do not have wireless access.
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Comprehensive Database
The Water Voices messaging platform is powered by a database that uses an unprecedented amount of data on all aspects of water quality, infrastructure, socio‐economic indicators, ICT information, etc, and centralizes it in a geospatial way. The database is a major component of the project that will provide researchers with an effective geospatial analytic resource to promote solutions.
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Youth Engagement
Water Voices is developing a water resource module that can be easily integrated into existing curriculum. Water Voices will be providing portable microbiology test kits to track, test, and then intervene in water quality. The data will then be uploaded to a special section on the Water Voices website.
In order to bring the vision of Water Voices to life, we are currently seeking partnerships with like-minded organizations as well as funding opportunities from those who wish to be a part of the solution. Water Voices is paving the way for solutions based approaches to water resource management challenges. Please let us know when you are available to discuss this exciting project - there are many ways we can work together to help improve the lives of thousands.
Sincerely,
The Water Voices Team
info@watervoices.ca