Feasible but not Affordable--Failing Governments Prevent Access to Water

This is an interesting excerpt from National Geographic's article "The Burden of Thirst:"

Water is most expensive to provide for those least able to afford it.

The best that can be done in some villages is to put in a well near the river. The water is no closer, but at least it is reliable, easier to extract, and more likely to be clean. However, many villages do not have wells because it requires geological know-how and expensive heavy machinery.

"People who live in slums and rural areas with no access to drinking water are the same people who don't have access to politicians."

- Paul Faeth, president of Global Water Challenge

Photograph by Amit Dave, Reuters

This is a picture taken in India of a vast well in the village of Natwargadh, Gujarat. In this drought-prone western state, yearly monsoon rains can total less than eight inches, and summer temperatures have topped 115°F.