Earth's population is now closing in on 6.5 billion, having tripled in the 20th century. Our use of water resources, however, actually has increased six-fold over that same time period!
With world population expected to increase by half over the next 50 years and with urbanization and industrialization growing at an alarming rate, especially in the most populous "developing" countries, our demand and hope for fresh water, sanitation and a clean environment are clearly in jeopardy.
More than a billion people today lack safe drinking water while moe than two billion lack adequate sanitation. The United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 4,000 children die every day of water borne diseases. Half of those facing sanitation challenges don't even have toilets, latrines or other means to separate human waste from daily life.
The effect on women and girls in particular is shocking. Half the girls who drop out of school in Sub-Saharan Africa do so because there are no facilities for their use and/or because they must spend that potential learning time carrying water long distances for family use.
To read the full, original article click on this link: OPINION COLUMN: World faces fresh water crisis
Author: Zach Gross
