Bahamas

An overview of the current standing

There is a need for both clean energy and clean water that is growing, especially in remote or island communities affected by natural disasters and climate change. Our current approach to disaster response includes sending large shipments of water in plastic bottles, and delivering gas generators to provide electricity. However, negative impacts do occur with these strategies, such as... 
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- greenhouse gas emissions 
- continued plastic pollution 
- high fuel and plastic shipping cost 
- water in plastic bottles contain impurities

Because infrastructure was so badly damaged during Hurricane Dorian, it was necessary to get basic response items to the islands, such as water bottles, to keep people alive. However, as the initial response phase ends and the rebuilding stages begin, it is important to adopt more sustainable disaster relief practices. A sustainable relief effort will provide benefits to every aspect of the community, while an unsustainable effort which is continued long after the initial response phase will be costly or generate more waste than the community can handle. A sustainable solution will holistically uplift and improve the functionality of an impacted community. In the case of The Bahamas, the best disaster response approaches will provide adequate amounts of clean water and energy at a low cost while meeting government goals of environmental protection.

​We need better approaches to disaster response that can also replace fossil fuel generators and the influx of plastic water bottles delivered to places in need.
To do so, Solar Water Relief will utilize solar generators and reverse osmosis systems to accomplish these goals.

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Hurricane Dorian and the Aftermath 

"There are long lines at gas stations, as people are buying fuel for generators as well as their cars." Mercy Corps 

​Accounts from the aftermath of the devastation left by Hurricane Dorian are described in frank detail by those left on the islands, as well as accounts from humanitarian efforts. "Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on roads, airports, communication grids, and other infrastructure which presents a logistical nightmare or emergency responders." states a member of Mercy Corps., a humanitarian group which primarily works with disaster relief. The hurricane not only destroyed over 13,000 residencies, but also left over 7,000 vulnerable citizen in dire need of food and clean drinking water to survive. Mercy Corps highlighted the issue of "People not having a place to charge their phones" and supplied "solar lanterns that have phone chargers [which] have helped those get the word out about where distributions are taking place." Even having something as minuscule as a light source in the dark can provide safety for large amounts of citizens on the island. 

In the aftermath of the hurricane, more than 1,000 individuals were sent to churches and gyms that withstood Dorian's gusts and floods. These areas served as a common place for victims of Dorian to be within proximity to life saving supplies; however, it has proven difficult in the immediate aftermath of Dorian to deliver the supplies to these areas as airport runways have flooded or been destroyed completely underwater. Even domestic business that withstood the storm are proving inefficient for the citizens as one individual accounted "There are long lines at gas stations, as people are buying fuel for generators as well as their cars." 

Hurricane Dorian presents not only a singular devastating event, but also represents the exhaustive logistical efforts that follow behind every major natural disaster for smaller island communities. The efficiency of these humanitarian efforts can prove to be a life or death situation for many of the island dwellers; especially for vulnerable demographics such as the very young and the elderly population, or those with existing medical conditions that require daily medication. 

A photo shows the havoc left by Hurricane Dorian in the business district of Grand Abaco in Marsh Harbor

NPR News shows the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in the island community

The Problem with Plastics 

Plastic: A Human Health Hazard
It is estimated that humans ingest thousands of pieces of microplastic (plastic less than 5mm in size) each year, through bottled water, packaged food, and other sources. Within the body, plastic particles can induce immunotoxicological responses, alter gene expression, and cause cell death. Additionally, plastic chemicals disrupt the endocrine system. The disruption in normal hormone processes can create problems in different systems of the body, like the reproductive system. Studies have also found a significant correlation between the number of hours worked in plastic factories and pre-diabetes and cancer development. 
All of the implications of plastic exposure and accidental plastic consumption are not yet understood. To learn more about whether plastic could actually bioconcentrate, bioaccumulate, and biomagnify in humans, scientists are currently working to develop a method to test human tissues for microplastics. In the meantime, however, plastic generation should be reduced as much as possible in the interest of the environment and human health.

Avoiding Plastic Generation with Intelligent Community-Based Design
Plastic production and lack of waste management infrastructure only adds significantly to the weight of problems natural disasters can have on a variety of communities. Understanding this, Solar Water Relief is committed to making an impact for people in need, while also presenting new, cleaner ways to tackle these issues in the future. By using solar powered reverse osmosis, plastic generation can be avoided. 

Each unit will deliver more than 560 liters of water per day, or more than 200,000 liters each year, meaning 200,000 fewer liters of plastic bottled consumed and disposed of each year. ​

​Bahamian Government Stance
The Bahamian government has recognized the impact of plastic pollution on their environment and subsequently, their tourism revenue. To manage the plastic problem, a ban was enacted on four types of single use plastic as of January 1, 2020: plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic utensils, and Styrofoam containers. The government estimates that plastic pollution can create a tourism revenue loss of $8.5 million by reducing the environmental aesthetic appeal.

The Bahamian Government has pledged to encourage renewable energy, decrease carbon emissions, and reduce plastic waste in order to protect their environment and their economy. However, some disaster relief efforts are not aligned with this vision, which has the potential to compromise those important aspects of the country.

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