Clean Drinking Water – How to Ensure Long-Term Security?

Unclean water is dangerous to both humans and the environment. It leads to numerous health issues – and even death. Reports have it that over a million die year after year from cholera and diarrhea.

Aside from these aforementioned diseases, people who drink unclean water can acquire hepatitis and schistosomiasis. Or, they could be infected with hookworm and other parasites. Unclean water is also devastating to the environment.

The Earth’s freshwater sources

Literally, the earth is a world of water. But then, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. And out of this 2.5 percent, only 1 percent can be easily accessed. Much of the freshwater is trapped in glaciers and snowfields.

Moreover, of the freshwater that we have, about 85% of it is used for agriculture. And the remaining is shared by the industrial, commercial, and domestic sectors.

We usually get our water from lakes, rivers, streams or freshwater wetlands. Unfortunately, about half of the world’s important rivers are now significantly depleted or polluted. Thus, making access to safe drinking scarce.

For some people, though, such a situation is still an abstract concept. But many communities across the globe are already experiencing the reality of water scarcity.