His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Nabhit Kapur, Permanent Observer to the United Nations for the Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency on Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA), joins Big Blend Radio's “Table & Compass” Podcast hosts Joelle Machia and Ryan Slough, and Lisa D. Smith, for a conversation rooted in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water and sanitation for all.
Listen to the podcast episode below:
Dr. Kapur began his career as a psychologist and mental health advocate. He explains how that work in Africa led him to the UN and to water and sanitation, why he believes access to safe water is about far more than pipes and wells, and how a small observer mission works to move ideas from the UN to communities on the ground.
The conversation moves from a village in Ghana, where children walk five kilometres each way for a bucket of water, to Sint Maarten's dependence on rain and desalination, before landing on a question for every listener: what can we do in our own communities?
Highlights from this episode:
From Mental Health Advocate to UN Ambassador
Dr. Kapur is a trained psychologist who founded the Peaceful Mind Foundation and World Leaders for Mental Health, working with health ministers and other leaders. When WSA asked him to represent it at the United Nations, he took on a new kind of work. He says the skills he built in mental health advocacy still shape how he approaches diplomacy.
Water Is Life, Life Is Dignity
When people hear “water and sanitation,” they picture wells, pipes, and toilets. Dr. Kapur says the work is broader than infrastructure. For girls and women who walk long distances to collect water, access to it is a matter of safety and dignity. His WaterHer initiative, which means “water for her,” puts women and girls at the center of the solutions.
Small Missions, Real Projects
Dr. Kapur describes how WSA contributes projects and initiatives to the UN's work, which member states can then carry to the grassroots. He shares how a visit to a small town in Ghana made him think about what the cost of a plane ticket could do for a community with no water. He also talks about the sanitation and water clubs launched in Nigerian schools, a three-tier program that touches on waterborne disease and child health, and a youth sanitation and water Model UN planned for next year.
A Global Issue
Although WSA's focus is Africa, Dr. Kapur says water security is everywhere. His work draws ministers and policymakers from the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South America. Joelle and Ryan add what they have seen traveling, including Sint Maarten's reliance on rainwater and desalination, and the questions they now ask hotels about protecting local water.
What Can the Rest of Us Do?
His answer is practical: no one can leave it to governments alone. Communities, private partners, and young people all have a part, and advocacy and awareness come first. He compares it to the small youth mental health forums he once built and suggests starting something similar for water. As the conversation closes, he is asked what gives him hope, and his answer is his own commitment to raising the voice of water at the highest level.
Learn more about Dr. Nabhit Kapur: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnabhitkapur
Learn more about Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA): https://wsa-un-ny.org/index.php
Learn more about UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6
New episodes of Big Blend Radio's “Table & Compass” Podcast air every first Monday, here: https://table-and-compass.podbean.com/
Learn more about Joelle Machia & Ryan Slough, Founders & Publishers of Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/