Occupational Therapy - 2015

20 Global Issue of Clean Water as it Impacts Occupation Hillary E. W. Anderson, OTD-S The purpose of this position paper is to explore the global impact of the lack or limited access to clean water on occupational engagement. The majority of the developed world has access to clean water, however, an alarming number of individuals do not have access to s governs, and impedes occupational engagement of millions globally. In order to enforce occupational justice, afforded from clean water, on a global scale, a fueling passion for change must be experienced by a collaborative force in a focused effort. Ultimately, access to clean water should be a basic human right propagated to all. Keywords: global, clean water, occupation engagement The purpose of this reflection paper is to explore the global impact of the lack or limited access to clean wa- ter on occupational engagement. When one thinks of access to clean water, one does not typically think of occupations or activities in which we engage as being drastically impacted or of major concern. However, engagement in occupations influences physical health, psychological well-being, and quality of life (QOL) (Law, 2002). Occupations can be categorized in many different ways. Occupations can be delineated by expe- riences as being engaging or as activities that are con- structive, important, participated in with passion, and imbedded in ones being. Occupations can also be clas- sified as being basic or essential activities to satisfy vital necessities; social or activities shared with others; relax- ing or calming activities; regular or activities routinely completed; irregular or favorable, activities completed at ones discretion; or time-killing, activities completed to take up time (Jonsson, 2014). Based on these catego- ries, for most, the consumption or filling of clean water is a briefly experienced basic occupation that does not require much thought or effort. More specifically, in the affluent regions of the world, clean water is an amenity that can be accessed with ease, but for those living in impoverished areas it is a coveted resource (Hunter, MacDonald, & Carter, 2010). For many, the acquisi- tion and treatment of water is a basic occupation that takes precedence over numerous important activities and routines. When one is unable to quench one of the most basic human needs such as clean water, occupa- tions such as rest, sleep, education, play, leisure, social participation, and presumably even work, are neglected (Blakeney & Marshall, 2009). In result, the limited or lack of access to clean water monopolizes, governs, and impedes occupational engagement of millions globally. Methodology In order to gain a comprehensive overview of the global issue of clean water as it effects occupation, a thematic analysis was conducted on the literature. The analysis of the literature included the review of multiple peer- reviewed scholarly articles, several textbooks, and on- line newspaper articles via scholarly and electronic da- tabases inclusive of CINAHL Complete - EBSCOhost, Pubmed (MEDLINE), and Google Scholar. The key- words searched were clean water, global access, water treatment, point of use, filtration and impact on occu- pational engagement. The following themes were iden- tified and reviewed: global access to clean water, health detriments of untreated or contaminated water, water treatment at point of collection and use, and the impact on occupation. Literature Review Global access to clean water Improved drinking sources deliver water that is safe to consume and are inclusive of the following: “piped household water connection, public standpipe, bore- hole, protected dug well, protected spring, rainwater collection” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012, Improved drinking water sources, para. 1). The majority of the developed world has access to clean water, however, “over 780 million people are still without access to improved sources of drinking water” (WHO & Unicef, 2012, p. 2). These populations consist of individuals living in underdeveloped countries, rural OCCUPATION: A Medium of Inquiry for Students, Faculty & Other Practitioners Advocating for Health through Occupational Studies November 2015, Volume 1, Number 1