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The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Going without food, water to avoid using toilet due to fear of safety continues among urban women, impacting health, study finds
Women often avoid eating or drinking, or suppress urination and defecation urges due to concerns about the availability, accessibility and safety of proper sanitation facilities. Now, a study has provided insights on the association between withholding and suppression among women in two different urban settings and their perceived sanitation-related privacy, safety and security, and health status and risks. Through a secondary analysis of data generated as a part of the Measuring Urban Sanitation and Empowerment project, researchers assessed the prevalence of withholding (food and water) and suppression ( urination/defecation urges) among urban women in Kampala, Uganda and Tiruchi, India. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence and frequency of sanitation-related withholding and suppression among urban women and to identify if and how privacy, safety, security and health were associated with these often-overlooked sanitation coping behaviours. The analytic sample for withholding was 1,308 women and 862 for suppression. What the study found Publishing their findings in Nature Water - 'Sanitation-related withholding and suppression among women in urban Uganda and India', Elaina Sinclair et al, said that 38% of women in Kampala and 16.4% women in Tiruchi reported withholding. More than 93% of women in both populations reported suppression - 94.3% of women in Kampala and 96% in Tiruchi. 'Privacy, safety and security, and health scores were significantly associated with the odds of withholding in both cities,' the study said. In both populations, withholding water when away from home - 33% in Kampala and 12.8% in Tiruchi - was the most common withholding scenario compared with withholding food when away from home or withholding food or water at home. Similarly, in both populations, the number of women who reported any level of suppression at night (87.5% in Kampala and 92.9% in Tiruchi) was much greater than those who reported any level of suppression when at home during the day (20.2% in Kampala and 8.9% in Tiruchi) or when away from home (40% in Kampala and 14% in Tiruchi). In Kampala, all women used improved sanitation facilities [flush toilet, pit latrine or composting toilet] for defecation and most shared their sanitation facility with known households, while in Tiruchi, 77.7% women used improved sanitation facilities and had privately owned facilities (69.2%). About 91% women in Kampala had to collect water for household sanitation needs as against 31.1% of women in Tiruchi. Top concerns Assessing safety and security factor scores, the study documented that the strongest association for withholding was found for perceptions of one's own risk of harm when going to a sanitation facility among both populations. Perception of women's general risk of domestic violence related to sanitation was also linked with withholding for the Kampala population. Looking at various health factors (sanitation-related illness, fear of injury, sanitation-related anxiety, embarrassment and shame, sanitation-related stress and fear), the study said that the strongest association for withholding was for fear of injury among women in Kampala, while it was sanitation-related stress and fear among women in Tiruchi. The authors said that analysis found higher privacy, safety and security, and health scores to be significant predictors of withholding, while fewer significant results were obtained for suppression, 'probably due to it being a commonly reported behaviour'. However, sanitation-related privacy and perception of risk of harm when going for sanitation were associated with suppression for women in Tiruchi. They went on to refer to social norms in Tamil Nadu that discouraged women from using public sanitation facilities alone due to beliefs that it is neither safe nor proper to do so. 'The findings in the present study also align with those of Panchang et al who found that Indian women who reported their local community toilet block to be unsafe had over four times the odds of reporting avoidance (suppression) and over three times the odds of reporting restriction (withholding) at baseline compared with those reporting their sanitation facility to be safe'. The study noted that 'the influencing factors identified in this study, particularly perceived risk of harm, fear of injury and sanitation-related stress and fear, can inform programmatic decisions and help target sanitation interventions to improve women's sanitation experiences and reduce the need for women to feel the need to use coping mechanisms such as withholding and suppression'.
Gulf Insider
01-07-2025
- Science
- Gulf Insider
MIT Invents "Bubble Wrap" That Pulls Fresh Water
MIT researchers have invented a new water-harvesting device — a high-tech version of 'bubble wrap' — that can pull safe drinking water straight from the air, even in extreme environments like Death Valley, the driest desert in North America, according to LiveScience. In a study published June 11 in Nature Water , the team described how their innovation could help address global water scarcity. 'It works wherever you may find water vapor in the air,' the researchers wrote. The device is built from hydrogel, a material that can absorb large amounts of water, sandwiched between two glass layers resembling a window. At night, the hydrogel draws moisture from the air. During the day, a special coating on the glass keeps it cool, allowing water to condense and drip into a collection system. The hydrogel is molded into dome shapes — likened to 'a sheet of bubble wrap' — that swell when absorbing moisture. These domes increase surface area, helping the material absorb more water. LiveScience writes that the system was tested for a week in Death Valley, a region spanning California and Nevada that holds the record as the hottest and driest place in North the harsh conditions, the harvester consistently produced between 57 and 161.5 milliliters of water daily — about a quarter to two-thirds of a cup. In more humid regions, researchers expect even greater yields. According to MIT representatives, this approach outperforms earlier water-from-air technologies and does so without needing electricity. One major breakthrough was solving a known problem with hydrogel-based water harvesters: lithium salts used to improve absorption often leak into the water, making it unsafe. The new design adds glycerol, which stabilizes the salt and keeps leakage to under 0.06 parts per million — a level the U.S. Geological Survey deems safe for groundwater. Though a single panel can't supply an entire household, its small footprint means several can be installed together. The team estimates that eight 3-by-6-foot (1-by-2-meter) panels could provide enough drinking water for a household in areas lacking reliable sources. Compared to the cost of bottled water in the U.S., the system could pay for itself in under a month and remain functional for at least a year. 'We imagine that you could one day deploy an array of these panels, and the footprint is very small because they are all vertical,' said Xuanhe Zhao, an MIT professor and co-author of the study. 'Now people can build it even larger, or make it into parallel panels, to supply drinking water to people and achieve real impact.' The researchers plan to continue testing the device in other low-resource areas to better understand its performance under different environmental conditions. Also read: 134 Endangered Species Released Into Neom Nature Reserve
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
MIT's high-tech ‘bubble wrap' turns air into safe drinking water — even in Death Valley
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. MIT researchers have created a high-tech 'bubble wrap' capable of collecting safe drinking water directly from the air — even in Death Valley, the driest desert in North America. The new water harvester is a major step towards providing safe, accessible drinking water to people across the globe — and works wherever you may find water vapor in the air, scientists said in a new study published June 11 in the journal Nature Water. The water harvester is made from hydrogel (a highly water-absorbent material) that is enclosed between two layers of glass — much like a window. At night, the device absorbs water vapor from the atmosphere. During the day, the water condenses on the glass thanks to a coating that keeps the glass cool. The liquid water then drips down the glass and is collected in a system of tubes. The hydrogel is formed into a special shape, a series of domes resembling a sheet of bubble wrap that swells up when absorbing water vapor. The domes increase the material's surface area, which increases the amount of water it can hold. Researchers tested the new device for a week in Death Valley, a unique desert valley spanning across parts of California and Nevada. It's the hottest place in the world and the driest place in North America. Related: 2 billion people could face chaotic and 'irreversible' shift in rainfall patterns if warming continues It produced about a quarter to two-thirds of a cup of water every day (57-161.5 milliliters). In more humid areas, the device should produce even more water. This design is a lot more effective than some previous attempts to collect drinking water from air, all without needing electricity to power it, MIT representatives said in a statement. The researchers also solved another long-standing problem with the quality of water collected using hydrogel designs. Lithium salts, added to the hydrogel to increase water absorption, normally leak into the water in similar designs, rendering the water unsafe to drink without further processing. This new design includes a salt stabilizer called glycerol which reduces the leakage below 0.06 ppm, the US Geological Survey's estimate for how much lithium salt can be present in groundwater before it might be unsafe to drink. RELATED STORIES —Stabbed, cut, attacked, twisted — scientists subject new stretchable battery to extreme torture, and it retained 90% of its capacity —Ancient groundwater records reveal worrying forecast for US Southwest —Scientists invent photosynthetic 'living' material that sucks CO2 out of the atmosphere While one panel might not produce enough water to sustain an entire household, they don't take up much space — which means multiple panels could be set up for a single household. The researchers estimate that using eight 3 foot by 6 foot (1 m by 2 m) panels could be enough to supply households anywhere that there isn't easy access to safe drinking water. Compared to the costs of bottled water in the US, the device could pay for itself in less than a month and last at least one year. 'We imagine that you could one day deploy an array of these panels, and the footprint is very small because they are all vertical,' Xuanhe Zhao, one of the paper's authors and a professor of both MIT's mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering departments, said in the statement. 'Now people can build it even larger, or make it into parallel panels, to supply drinking water to people and achieve real impact.' The team plans to test the panels in additional resource-limited environments to learn more about the device's performance under different conditions.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA data warns of surge in extreme weather events: Drought and floods intensifying globally
New data from NASA has revealed a dramatic and alarming increase in the severity and frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods worldwide. Using advanced satellite observations, researchers found that these events are not only occurring more often but are also lasting longer and impacting larger areas than ever before. The findings show that the number and intensity of these events have doubled in just the past five years compared to the 2003 to 2020 average. While the data isn't yet peer reviewed, scientists say it's a stark early warning that climate change is accelerating environmental disruptions faster than previously expected. NASA's GRACE satellite finds alarming surge in weather extremes The observations come from NASA's GRACE satellite, which monitors changes in Earth's water systems. Researchers were surprised to find that the pace of extreme weather events appears to be increasing even faster than global temperatures themselves. These events, such as long-lasting droughts and catastrophic floods, are closely linked to rising temperatures and are consistent with earlier climate predictions, but the speed of their intensification has shocked experts. Scientists expressing concerns about global warming While the dataset needs more years to confirm a definitive trend, several scientists have expressed concern. Dr Bailing Li, from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, stated that although causation can't be confirmed yet, the growing number of extreme events strongly points to global warming as a driver. Her colleague Dr Matthew Rodell described the trend as "certainly scary," noting that such changes could outpace society's ability to respond or adapt. Water systems at the breaking point NASA researchers measured events using a formula that includes affected area, duration, and wetness or dryness. They found that disruptions to water systems, one of the clearest consequences of climate change, are growing worse. A previous study in Nature Water had already warned that the world's water infrastructure is ill equipped to handle such fluctuations. Global impacts and warnings Experts from the UK Met Office and WaterAid say most cities and water utilities are unprepared for this new climate reality. Sudden transitions, called 'hydroclimatic whiplash,' from dry to wet conditions or vice versa are now more common and more damaging. These rapid shifts are affecting agriculture, infrastructure, human health, and biodiversity in unpredictable ways. Extreme event to affect global economic planning, insurances and infrastructure With the insurance industry relying on historical data to set premiums, the unpredictability of today's extreme weather could destabilize economic planning. The World Meteorological Organization has predicted that global temperatures will likely continue to rise, increasing the risk of devastating events in the next five years. Scientists and climate advocates are urging urgent investments in both emissions reduction and climate adaptation strategies to prepare for the changes already underway.
Irish Examiner
17-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Nasa data reveals 'alarming' rise in intensity of weather events
New data from Nasa has revealed a dramatic rise in the intensity of weather events such as droughts and floods over the past five years. The study shows that such extreme events are becoming more frequent, longer lasting and more severe, with last year's figures reaching twice that of the 2003-2020 average. The steepness of the rise was not foreseen. The researchers say they are amazed and alarmed by the latest figures from the watchful eye of Nasa's Grace satellite, which tracks environmental changes in the planet. They say climate change is the most likely cause of the apparent trend, even though the intensity of extremes appears to have soared even faster than global temperatures. The data is not yet peer-reviewed, and researchers said they would need another 10 or more years to confirm to conclusively call it a trend. The data has been co-produced by Dr Bailing Li, from the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center – affiliated with the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, who told the Guardian: 'We can't prove causation yet – we would need a much longer dataset. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what's happening here, but other events suggest that (global) warming is the driving factor. We are seeing more and more extreme events round the world, so this is certainly alarming. Her colleague Dr Matthew Rodell, chief of hydrologic sciences at Goddard, also counselled caution over the latest data, but admitted that he too was worried about the apparent acceleration of a trend in destructive events. 'It's certainly scary,' he said. The earlier part of the Nasa time series was published in Nature Water in 2023. The researchers used a mathematical formula to calculate the total effect of a weather event in terms of severity measured by the total area affected, the duration of the event and how wet or dry it was. The paper warned that disturbance to the water system would be one of the most significant consequences of the climate crisis. The paper noted that the intensity of extremes was strongly correlated with global mean temperature, more so than with El Niño, the influential ocean current, or other climate indicators, suggesting that continued warming of the planet will cause more frequent, more severe, and longer and/or larger droughts and floods. The Nasa researchers produced the updated statistics at the request of the Oxford-based research organisation Global Water Intelligence, whose head, Christopher Gasson, said water companies are in the firing line of climate change – facing too much water or too little water – or both. He said most water companies are completely unprepared to cope with the changes under way. 'This is extremely scary,' he said. 'The industry needs to attract investment on a massive scale.' Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization's [url= report[/url] calculates an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will top 2024 as the warmest year on record. It says global temperatures are set to continue to increase over the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies, and sustainable development. The unpredictability of extreme events revealed in the new data is likely to alarm the insurance industry, which bases current premiums on previous trend data. This could have widespread effects across entire economies. The Guardian
