La Plage
An Bang - Cam An Beach,
Hoi An - Vietnam
Hoi An - Vietnam
Notes From Hoi An (selection from Sam's Column in Live Hoi An Magazine)
Water. It's one of the things that drew me to Hoi An one year ago; gentle waves pushing against endless blonde beaches and lush rice-paddy and coconut-palm lined rivers. I was also attracted by the fact I’m a 10 minute bike ride away from a fresh chocolate croissant and cappuccino and my ride to work takes me through rice paddies and past water buffalo wallowing in the mud. I attended a workshop on sustainable water systems in rural Vietnam a few weeks ago where I realized I wanted to know more. I thought I’d share some information that might be interesting to visitors who want to know more about the water, the environment, and health.
How much water is there? A lot. Vietnam is lucky to get almost 2 meters (79 in.) of rainfall a year (1.5 meters in the North and 2 meters in the South) and has rivers that carry 255 billion square meters through its territory every year. With a dry season of 6-7 months and income and geographic disparities, however, it doesn't mean that everyone has enough water when and where they need it.
What is water used for? Like most countries, over 85% of water consumed is for agricultural purposes. About 10% is used for industry and 5% for domestic purposes.
How do people get water into their houses? Only about 20% of homes in Vietnam are connected to a centralized piped water system. In rural areas (like my house) we have a pump. In other rural areas, surface water is diverted (or collected) from rivers and ponds etc... (A water expert/expat told me that years ago he saw many people using rainwater – but that this practice has declined as more people can afford a pump. In an interesting twist in technology - in California, it’s becoming fashionable to learn install ‘rain water catchment’ systems…).
How do people get clean drinking water? In many areas they don’t. East Meets West Foundation estimates that 80% of serious childhood illnesses in Vietnam's countryside are caused by lack of access to clean water. Although the government and NGOs are making rapid progress towards providing clean drinking water (and hygienic sanitation facilities) to rural areas, more work remains to be done. In rural areas, boiling water and ceramic filters are the most common ways of treating water. Both methods help – but don’t necessarily remove all the bad stuff (viruses, salt, arsenic – or other chemicals - like fertilizer - that may be dissolved in the water). In urban areas, including downtown Hoi An, homes are usually connected to a centralized water system where water is pumped out of the ground, treated (iron and suspended solids are removed and chlorine is added to kill any remaining pathogens) and then piped into homes. Most of the people I know in Hoi An buy the 21 liters of water for drinking.
Is bottled water safe to drink? I couldn’t find any reviews of local water bottlers. Earlier this year the Ministry of Health in Saigon inspected 42 bottled water companies and cited 48% of them. Two bottlers that were not on the list of cited companies were La Vie (mineral water produced by Nestle) and Joy (purified water produced by Coca Cola).
What changes do I plan to make? Not big ones. I’ve lived here for over a year, brushed my teeth with (untreated) well water with no known side-effects. But I will make a few changes… 1) Remember to drink more water – at least 2 liters per day 2) Buy a water filtration system with a 0.2 micron filter that removes bacteria for $20. (I’ve lost confidence in my bottled water supplier that offers, ‘Furified Water’…) 3) Make sure I boil cooking water for a full minute to kill all the potential nasties. 4) Despite pressure from all my Vietnamese friends, I’ll continue to refrain from using fertilizer on my lawn and try and use low phosphate detergent to reduce contamination of ground water. 5) Support some organizations that help others get clean water. Two organizations I know who do work in the areas of clean water and sanitation are East Meets West Foundation www.EastMeetsWestFoundation.org and International Development Enterprises www.ide.vn (IDE) (market-based solutions to poverty reduction, clean water and sanitation). If you have other information to share please email (or stop by my office at An Bang beach and have a clean glass of water with me J) Hang gap lai. Sam
Spring 2010
Give More Get More
With the kumquat tree, flower, red-envelope/lucky-money giving frenzy behind us, it can mean only one thing: Spring is here. Despite the too-loud karaoke fests and inflated prices, I like Tet. If for no other reason, you get a second cance to actually start fulfilling your New Year’s Resolutions made in January (in case you sort of forgot to actually do any of the things on that list). If one of your resolutions is to do something for others, I have good news for you. While visiting Hoi An, you can check this one off your list. Whether it’s choosing to shop at a place that helps disabled people or donating a typical evening’s bar bill to a charity of your choice you can make a difference.
Besides meeting one of your resolutions, there’s another reason to consider. We've all heard the saying that it's better to give than to receive. There’s even science to up this claim. Studies show that when we give to others, life takes on greater meaning and we get away from our own self pre-occupation and problems. According to psychologists, giving is a gift increases the bond between us and the person to whom we have given, tells us about ourselves and generally increases our feelings of competence. So how’s that. Make the world a better place feel better. What else do you want? If you’re next thought is well, how do I know my money will be well spent or how do I know where to start, forget that excuse, take a look at “Sam’s List” and get shopping, eating or donating check that task off your ‘to-do list’ and start feeling better.
Sam’s List includes organizations that do a little more to help make the world a better place. Some rely on donations to do their work which is exclusively devoted to the service of others. Others sell something to fund their activities. Whether you’re looking for a fat tax write-off for a donation or the satisfaction of knowing the money you’re spending on dinner or a gift is going to an organization that treats their employees fairly, you’ll find a way to give something back.
A couple of comments about volunteering, since I get asked this question a lot. Many people come to Hoi An and want to spend a couple of days volunteering. Except for cleaning up the beach, there are very few ways you can actually make a meaningful contribution in such a short period of time. Most organizations are very thinly staffed and while it may seem illogical that busy people don’t want free help, it takes a lot of time to train you so you can do something useful or to re-organize the way they normally do things to take advantage of an extra set of hands. Some organizations, like Global Volunteer Network, are happy to organize a tour of an orphanage if you donate some money. Most, however, have specific skills they need and ask for a long-term commitment.
When you visit a place like Smile House, Reaching Out, or Streets International you can kill two birds with one stone: Satisfy your stomach (or pick up those gifts) and meet some wonderful people. I just got back from a visit to Smile House, a new store behind the Confucius Temple run by a disabled artisans. The shop is aptly named. The artisans had huge smiles, and it was fun to see how excited they were to have a customer looking at the crafts they’ve made. Prices were fixed and it’s just always more fun to know who made the thing you’re buying. I bought a fold-out card of a bridge in Danang and a folding cloth bag, which I’ll hopefully remember to bring to the market the next time I go. I was tempted by the cute girls dresses for my niece, but maybe next time. Plus, by visiting them you get to see the Temple, which is pretty amazing in its own right.
So have fun, give to a good cause or eat and shop and feel good about it. Chuc Mung Nam Moi and happy giving!
