Clean Water Scarcity: The People’s Problem
By Riley Duignan
If we are all tuned in enough with the world’s problems, it is basic knowledge that many people lack access to clean water. But what if I told you that it’s much worse than you think?
Especially here in Colorado, we have access to clean tap water. Usually, Coloradans can run the faucet and drink down some cold water. Some may even have a nice fridge that filters water for you. But many don’t have any of these privileges. It is scary enough that many people who live in states like Texas, Arizona, and parts of California cannot drink their tap water and instead have to buy bottled water or extreme water filters. But this is just a minor case compared to many countries that have areas that have little to no access to clean drinking water.
According to the World Health Organization, around 785 million people, which is 1 in 10 people around the world, don’t have basic water services. To put this into perspective, this would fill the average 70,000-capacity football stadium over 11,000 times. By definition, “water services” is simply a supply where clean drinking water can be delivered to and from in less than 30 minutes. While still around 2 billion people have an under-managed water supply, allowing unhealthy bacteria, minerals, and pollutants to infest their water supply.
Some countries have high populations of people who lack access to clean/managed drinking water
India – Population lacking clean drinking water access: 78,353,445 – 5.9% of the population
China – Population lacking clean drinking water access: 62,826,038 – 4.5% of the population
Nigeria – Population lacking clean drinking water access: 60,061,642 – 31.5% of the population
Ethiopia – Population lacking clean drinking water access: 44,361,653 – 42.7% of the population
DR Congo – Population lacking clean drinking water access: 38,572,913 – 47.6% of the population
Tanzania – Population lacking clean drinking water access: 23,097,307 – 44.4% of the population
These are only a few countries, but just these combined total to over 307 million people who actively lack access to the clean drinking water you are likely able to consume every day.
What else does this drinking water do other than be dirty? Well… a lot. Infested and dirty water causes many ‘short-term’ health issues like diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, nausea, fever, etc. Water infected with certain viruses or bacteria can cause further health defects like HIV, hepatitis, certain cancers, kidney disease, and other such health issues. Especially for third-world countries, it is difficult for people to find and afford necessary medical treatments, making everyone vulnerable to the fatal and long-term side effects of these diseases and viruses. Children, especially, are vulnerable to sickness from unclean water. Many even pass from the effects of stomach pains, chronic diarrhea, fevers, and other fatal sicknesses. An estimated number of 395,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsanitary water. People in these conditions don’t ask for it, but often can’t get away due to their impoverished communities and government.
There are ways you can help from afar, donations, small or big, that help everyone. Safe drinking water is a human right and necessity, and it’s only fair that people everywhere have access to it. Below are some links to charity and donation projects you can donate to
https://www.charitywater.org/
https://water.org/
https://donate.worldvision.org/gift-catalog/clean-water
https://cleanwater.org/support-clean-water-action
Sources
https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/drinking-water#:~:text=The%20more%20common%20illnesses%20caused,as%20hepatitis%20can%20also%20occur.
https://www.who.int/news/item/18-06-2019-1-in-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who
https://www.worldometers.info/water/access-to-safe-water/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/water-quality-by-country
https://www.unicef.org/wash/water-scarcity
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water#:~:text=Some%201%20million%20people%20are,of%20diarrhoea%20and%20other%20diseases