by Nadia Promi

Created on: April 20, 2008

Two basic facts related to water determine our lives: most of the human body is made up of water and most of the Earth's surface is covered by water. We cannot live without water. And yet, we are not aware how precious it is. Most of us, living in comfortable homes and having an easy access to fresh water, take it for granted. At the same time we are witnessing the breakthrough scientific achievements, advances in new technologies and their immense role in changing the patterns of life. One may think that at such a high level of development technology and science could solve all problems the world faces today. That may be true but it is not only the matter of technology and science. Much, much more on the part of human will and behavior is needed.

Water scarcity already affects every continent and it is getting worse due to the population growth, unplanned and chaotic urbanization, pollution, alteration of river flows and the increase in domestic and industrial water use. Global freshwater consumption rose six-fold between 1900 and 1995 - at more than twice the rate of population growth. Yet for many of the world's poor, one of the greatest environmental threats to health remains the lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitary systems. Roughly, half the people in African and Asian cities lack healthy and convenient water and sanitation. Over one billion people globally lack access to safe drinking-water supplies, while 2.6 billion lack adequate sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, diseases related to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene result in an estimated 1.7 million deaths every year.

The forecast for the years to come is not optimistic: UN experts estimate that two out of every three individuals on the globe may be living in water-stressed conditions by the year 2025. Although the Millennium Development Goal set by the United Nations is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, it does not seem, according to the actual global situation, that the goal is likely to be reached. Therefore, with extremely strong reasons this year, 2008 has been proclaimed the International Year of Sanitation.

The World Health Report 2007 shows how the world is at increasing risk of disease outbreaks, epidemics, industrial accidents, natural disasters and other health emergencies which can rapidly become threats to global public health security. In a recent statement Director General

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