About forty per cent of the world’s population (i.e., around 2.6 billion people) still lack basic sanitation facilities. More than one billion people are not accessible to safe drinking water. In every minute about six children are dying in developing countries due to diseases caused by unsafe water and inadequate sanitation.

About forty per cent of the world’s population (i.e., around 2.6 billion people) still lack basic sanitation facilities. More than one billion people are not accessible to safe drinking water.

The lack of access to safe water and sanitation has many other serious repercussions. Children are denied their right to education because they are busy fetching water or are deterred by the lack of separate and decent sanitation facilities in schools. Women are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, and national economies suffer. Without safe water and sanitation, sustainable development is impossible. It is estimated that 4 billion people – one-half of the world’s population – will live under conditions of severe water stress in 2025, with conditions particularly severe in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. The world’s poorest countries need to achieve a higher level of water security if they are to lift people out of poverty and improve their health and household incomes. In every minute about six children are dying in developing countries due to diseases caused by unsafe water and inadequate sanitation.Most will die from diarrhea that makes them vulnerable to other diseases