Global access to safe drinking water

Most of our planet is covered in water. But nearly all the water is salty. Saltwater doesn’t work for many human needs. We need freshwater. But even freshwater might be too contaminated or so deep underground that it’s difficult or costly to pump up.

So, only a small portion of all the water on the planet is available for human needs. And only about 1% of all water on Earth is safe to drink. This might not seem like much, but this 1 percent could still be enough for everyone on the planet. Unfortunately, freshwater is not distributed evenly around the world. Many areas are affected by lack of water.

Maybe you never thought about this before? Water is normally just there, pouring out of a tap. Some regions in the world have systems for distributing water, which connect buildings with a reliable source of freshwater. Such systems often filter water and improve its quality too, so that it is safe to drink. But more than one billion people don’t have such easy access to water in the home.

In many places there are still no functioning water distribution systems. And in many areas there is simply not enough water for everyone. This is called water scarcity. Water scarcity affects nearly 2 billion people at least one month a year. Water scarcity is a source of many problems.

In regions where the climate is hot and there is not enough rain, there might be not enough sources of freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, or wells. In those regions people who live in rural areas, often need to walk long distances to fetch water. Then they need to carry it back all the way to their homes, and there is only so much a person can carry. These daily trips can be exhausting and dangerous. Fetching water also takes time away from other things, such as going to school, learning new skills, or working for money.

Water fetched from rivers or wells is not always safe to drink or use either. It might contain bacteria or parasites that cause diseases. These diseases cause more than a million deaths a year! Limited access to water often means limited hygiene. We need water to wash our clothes, our bodies, our hands, to brush our teeth, and to clean our homes.

Lack of water and hygiene often means that diseases can spread more easily, causing even more people to die. All people need clean safe water to survive and be healthy. Having access to clean safe water is a human right. Improving water systems and access to safe drinking water, can save millions of lives every year. It can prevent diseases, improve health, and increase equality on Earth.

But the amount of water on Earth is limited and is not increasing with the growing population. We will soon be 8 billion people on the planet, and meeting the demand for water for all of us is a growing challenge. We need to make sure everyone on the globe has access to safe water, and that water is used in a responsible, sustainable way. Do you have any ideas how we can do this?