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Water Resources |
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In Developing Countries |
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Natural Disasters
“Between 1991 and 2000 over 665,000 people died in 2,557 natural disasters of which 90% were water-related events (WMO, 2004). In 2003 alone, over 254 million people were affected by natural hazards, an increase of 180 percent compared to 1990 (CRED). During the two El Nino years of 1991/92 and 1997/98, floods in China affected over 2000 million people in each year. Losses stemming from disasters have greater impact in developing countries as compared to developed countries. More than 95% of all deaths caused by disaster occur in the developing countries.”
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The Problem |
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Some sobering facts: · 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water, this is roughly one sixth of the world's population. · 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, this is roughly two fifths of the world's population. · 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 5000 deaths a day. · Water-related disease is the second biggest killer of children worldwide, after acute respiratory infections like tuberculosis. · At any one time, half of the developing world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from water-related diseases. (UN) · The average European uses 200 litres of water every day. North Americans use 400 litres. · The average person in the developing world uses 10 litres of water every day for their drinking, washing and cooking. (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)) Statistics were taken from WaterAid.org which sited the Human Development report of 2006 unless otherwise noted. |
