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Facts and Figures: Water Supply and Sanitation
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World Heath Day celebrated on April 7th gives us the opportunity to focus in on water and the crucial role that it has on health and sanitation.
In wealthier parts of the world, the connection between water, hygiene and health is taken for granted. But for the less fortunate majority, access to clean and adequate water is a daily struggle. Water supply and sanitation are essential for meeting basic needs. The importance of promoting and protecting health has risen to the top of the political agenda and much progress has been made. However, millions are still deprived of a basic human right and huge challenges remain in fulfilling the numerous promises made.
Water Supply and Sanitation1.1 billion people lack access to improved water supply and 2.4 billion to improved sanitation.
Those who lack adequate and affordable water supplies are the poorest in society. Despite the fact that promises have been made during the past 10 years and despite the fact that the right to water has been internationally recognised as a human right, one sixth of the world population is still without water and two fifths are without sanitation.
Even more shocking is the number of deaths, mostly of children, that are largely preventable through water/hygiene-related measures, as well as deaths from water-related vector-borne diseases. They result in millions of cases of ill-health every year and affect the physical, social and economic well-being of populations. In many countries throughout the world, schools for example have very poor sanitation environments. In such circumstances, schools become unsafe places where diseases are easily transmitted. About 40% of the world's 400 million school-age children are infected with intestinal worms, and diarrhoea resulting from poor sanitation and hygiene is responsible for more than 2 million deaths per year. About 1 in 10 school-age African girls do not attend school during menstruation or drop out at puberty because of the lack of clean and private sanitation facilities in schools.
Targets and GoalsOver the past years, several very important targets have been put in place to ensure water supply and sanitation for all. These include:
The Second World Water Forum, The Hague, 2000 adopted the following targets:
By 2015 to reduce by one-half the proportion of people without access to hygienic sanitation facilities,
By 2015 to reduce by one-half the proportion of people without sustainable access to adequate quantities of affordable and safe water,
By 2025 to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene for all.
The United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration, adopted by all UN member states in September 2000 states the goal to "halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water".
The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), the UN Millennium Development Goal was reconfirmed and added "to halve by 2015 the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation".
Coverage for improved water supply and sanitation has increased over the past ten years for all but urban water supply where the percentage coverage has decreased. An enormous number of people have gained access to improved facilities over that time: about 816 million people have gained access to improved water supply and 747 million people have gained access to improved sanitation. Urban services would require more than a billion additional people to have access to both water supply and sanitation over the next 15 years to reach the targets stated above. This may be overly optimistic as water supply and sanitation services continue to face major constraints, including limited financial resources, insufficient cost recovery of services provided and inadequate operation and maintenance capacities.
What needs to happen? Many politicians and decision-makers do not realise that providing access to sanitation facilities, though relatively inexpensive, will halve the death toll of those who do not currently enjoy this fundamental human right.
But action does not only have to come from decision-makers. In many cultures, norms and beliefs also have a negative impact on sanitation efforts as discussion is often hindered by the associated taboo. Problems cannot be solved and hygiene education activities are restricted in an environment of silence. The promotion of fundamental behaviour changes is key to integrating the appropriate use of services into daily routine and needs to start in childhood. School health and hygiene education programmes are, therefore, an essential part of every water and sanitation programme.
Lack of water supply and sanitation reinforces the cycle of poverty and powerlessness that keeps people trapped, as well as slowing the ability of societies to develop. Water management solutions exist that can make a significant impact in combating both disease and poverty. We need only apply them. More difficult however is finding the will to do so. If we are to meet our goals, we must not rest until the privileges of the fortunate have been extended to those millions still deprived of water, sanitation and health.
For more information on water supply and sanitation visit the Water Library and the Education Corner.
Related Events
World Health Day, April 7 2003
"Healthy Environments for Children" co-ordinated by the World Health Organization
Information based on:
World Water Development Report (WWDR)
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 Children and health Some 6,000 children die every day from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. |
| Comparative costs Estimations of yearly funding requirements for water supply and sanitation range between US$ 20 and 55 billion. In comparison, US$17 billion is yearly spent in USA and Europe on pet food; in Europe, US$105 billion is spent annually on alcoholic drinks. |
| Women and water The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 km. The weight of water that women in Africa and Asia carry on their heads is the equivalent of your airport luggage allowance (20kg). |
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