Research Synopsis:
What is the clean water crisis?
Currently, about 785 million people live without access to clean water. The second leading cause of death in countries with an average income of fewer than 400 dollars per year is diarrhea and related diseases. This can be directly attributed to a lack of clean water. (WHO)
What does it encompass?
The “water crisis” encompasses both a lack of water and only having access to water that is unsanitary and unsafe. Solutions to this can range from greywater treatment facilities to desalination machines to water filtration and distribution systems.
What’s the history of the water crisis?
In the mid-1800s, scientists began to draw direct links between unclean water and the spread of diseases like cholera.
In 1960, 9% of the global population experiences chronic water shortages.
In 1993, the United Nations designated March 22 as World Water Day, raising awareness of the pervasive impacts of water shortages.
In 2000, the UN committed to halving the number of people without reliable access to clean water by 2015.
By 2005, 35% of the global population experiences chronic water shortages.
Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion people gained access to clean water.
Which groups are affected the most and what’s an example for a few of those groups?
While every group of people is in some way affected by the water crisis, it is most pronounced in low-income countries. As climate change continues to exacerbate droughts, the water crisis will continue to grow.
How can you combat the water crisis?
Technology to combat the crisis can come in many forms, including (but not limited to) desalination machines, water reclamation, water capture (eg. rain), water filtration, sanitation, and water distribution systems.
Currently, about 785 million people live without access to clean water. The second leading cause of death in countries with an average income of fewer than 400 dollars per year is diarrhea and related diseases. This can be directly attributed to a lack of clean water. (WHO)
What does it encompass?
The “water crisis” encompasses both a lack of water and only having access to water that is unsanitary and unsafe. Solutions to this can range from greywater treatment facilities to desalination machines to water filtration and distribution systems.
What’s the history of the water crisis?
In the mid-1800s, scientists began to draw direct links between unclean water and the spread of diseases like cholera.
In 1960, 9% of the global population experiences chronic water shortages.
In 1993, the United Nations designated March 22 as World Water Day, raising awareness of the pervasive impacts of water shortages.
In 2000, the UN committed to halving the number of people without reliable access to clean water by 2015.
By 2005, 35% of the global population experiences chronic water shortages.
Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion people gained access to clean water.
Which groups are affected the most and what’s an example for a few of those groups?
While every group of people is in some way affected by the water crisis, it is most pronounced in low-income countries. As climate change continues to exacerbate droughts, the water crisis will continue to grow.
How can you combat the water crisis?
Technology to combat the crisis can come in many forms, including (but not limited to) desalination machines, water reclamation, water capture (eg. rain), water filtration, sanitation, and water distribution systems.