Water Scarcity and its Effects

Know the water facts, then Act...

• At any one time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from water-borne diseases.
• Over one-third of the world's population has no access to sanitation facilities.
• In developing countries, about 80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions.
• 1 out of every 4 deaths under the age of 5 worldwide is due to a water-related disease.
• In developing countries, it is common for water collectors, usually women and girls, to have to walk several kilometers every day to fetch water. Once filled, pots and jerry cans weigh as much as 20kg (44lbs).

Why we have a responsibility to act

• Only 1% of the total water resources on earth are available for human use. While 70% of the world’s surface is covered by water, 97.5% of that is salt water. Of the remaining 2.5% that is freshwater, almost 68.7% is frozen in ice caps and glaciers.
• Canada controls about 20% of the earth's fresh water.
• Up to 30% of fresh water supplies are lost due to leakage in developed countries, and in some major cities, losses can run as high as 40% to 70%.
• About 90% of sewage and 70% of industrial wastes in developing countries are discharged into water courses without treatment, often polluting the usable water supply.
• A person living in Sub-Saharan Africa uses about 10-20 (2.6-5.26 gallons) litres of water a day; on average, a Canadian uses 326 litres (86 gallons) a day.

Share and Comment