Water
& Sanitation
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Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access
to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. *
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| Close to half of all people in developing
countries suffering at any given time from a health problem caused by
water and sanitation deficits. *
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The ability
to have access to clean drinking water is something that most of us take for
granted. We have clean drinking water piped directly into our own homes and
we expect it to be available all the time and to be both safe and clean. In
the developing world, water is a scarce and valued resource that is not
readily available to everyone.
For people
who live in rural communities finding clean water is a major problem. Often,
the nearest water source is not in their village, so they will have to walk
many kilometres to find the nearest water source. This may be just an open
stream or a hole in the ground. Some villages are fortunate enough to have
water facilities installed, such as pumps and bore-holes, but these are
often partially dried up and offer very poor water quality.
The
consumption of unclean water can lead to many serious health issues. If
water is accessed from open sources, such as streams, ponds or ditches, then
the risk of the water being contaminated from human or animal waste is high.
Cholera and Typhoid are endemic in many parts of the developing world and
are the results of both poor drinking water and poor sanitation. The spread
of protozoa such as Giardia or
Cryptosporidium are common also.
Even minor illnesses caused by polluted drinking water such as diarrhoea can
be life threatening if not treated in time.
* 2006 United
Nations Human Development Report
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