Around 41 countries across the globe suffer from clean water and sanitation problem. Due to global warming, drought and desertification have to a significant level. It’s projected that by 2050, at least one-fourth of the total population of the world will be suffering from clean water and sanitation problems.
Facts about Clean Water
- 3 in 10 people don’t have access to clean water and 6 in 10 people lack access to basic sanitation facilities
- Around 1,000 children are dying every day due to diarrhea and water-borne diseases
- Unsafe water and unhygienic sanitation account for 70% of deaths due to natural reasons.
- Almost 2.1 billion people don’t have access to clean water in their homes.
- It was estimated on a report of UNICEF that around 844 million people around the world lack basic clean water, hygiene, and sanitation services.
- In rural areas, only 9% of people have proper sanitation facilities with handwashing areas.
- Each year, 842,000 people die due to poop hygiene routine, unsafe drinking water, and sanitation. Childhood diarrhea is the leading cause of childhood mortality.
- Typhoid is caused by drinking water with bacteria and around 500 million people are affected by typhoid every year.
Solutions for Clean Water and Sanitation
Develop Water Monitoring System
Water wastage is a common scenario for many households. The government can impose laws to refrain the excess use of water. There should be proper laws and their implementation to bring changes in the water-use habit on a global scale.
Efficient Irrigation System
Farming nearby the river is cost-effective but it’s not sustainable. With a smart irrigation control system, the farmers can come up with an efficient water solution.
Desalination
Around 98% of the earth’s water resource is saltwater. It’s possible to purify the seawater through desalination and make them drinkable. However, the desalination process is not feasible for all the countries as the process is limited by the high cost.
Filter Straws
These innovative straws make any source of water drinkable by removing all sorts of impurities. However, this will not work on saltwater.
Dry Toilet
Dry toilets are used in several regions in the world to combat lack of water and sanitary infrastructure. These toilets can secure an appropriate hygiene regime for regions and communities where water is scarce.
Educate People
Encouraging people to use the toilet and teach them about the basic hygiene routine will reduce the sanitation problem to a great extent.
Importance of Clean Water
The importance of clean water is crucial for living a healthy life. It’s a fundamental human need and it’s an important step towards improving the living standards globally.
Balance Bodily Fluids
Drinking clean water helps to maintain a balance of the essential bodily fluids and aid with important activities such as digestion, absorption, etc. It also helps to retain the optimum body temperature and energize the muscles.
Get Rid of Toxins
Our body creates many types of toxins due to chemical reactions. Clean and freshwater help to get rid of the toxins and restore the chemical balance in our bodies.
Maintain Hygienic Sanitation
Clean water is not only essential for drinking but it is also vital for maintaining a hygienic sanitation regime. You if you use unclean water to perform routine tasks such as washing clothes, cooking or cleaning then it’ll raise the chances of getting diseases.
Prevents Diseases
Having access to clean water reduces the possibilities of many water-borne diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A, cholera, etc. Consumption of contaminated water hikes up the risk of such diseases. Clean water not only helps to prevent these diseases but also helps to maintain good health.
Impact of Unsafe Drinking Water and Unhygienic Sanitation
Water is considered safe when it is free from pathogenic agents and harmful chemicals. Safe drinking water should not be a privilege for only the urban dwellers. Clean water and sanitation are a basic need and all countries should ensure that their citizens have to access them. Poor hygiene practices and unsafe drinking water accounts for 4% of all deaths around the world.
The health impacts that people may experience due to unsafe water and sanitation may not be evident immediately. Factors such as health, age, gender, and the physical condition of the person determine the extent to which the diseases will have an impact on the person.
Diarrhea is one of the most common diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. It alone kills more children worldwide than malaria and tuberculosis combined. Also, diarrheal diseases like E. coli infection and typhoid are common due to the use of unsafe drinking water. Children and infants with the improperly developed immune system are more susceptible to waterborne diseases.
Unclean water and unsafe sanitation affect millions of people on a global scale causing tremendous suffering. Sustainable freshwater resources and sanitation are vital for social development and economic prosperity. These resources are integrated into all sorts of developments for our planet.