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More people have a mobile phone than a sanitary water source

Saving water is not just a concern for us here in the UK, but a global one and the worrying statistic that more people have a mobile phone than a sanitary water source means that we as a country need to be at the forefront of education and forward thinking when it comes to water.

Here are some staggering facts about water or the lack of it on a global scale:

  • More than 3.4 million people die each year because of a lack of access to sanitary water and hygiene related problems; that’s more than the whole population of Uruguay! 99% of all deaths associated with unsanitary water occur in the developing world.
  • The lack of access to clean water in the developing world kills children at an alarming rate. It is equivalent to a jumbo jet full of people crashing every four hours.
  • According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), “[The water and sanitation] crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.”
  • It is estimated that approximately one in nine people (780 million) still lack the access of an improved water source even after continued efforts from UNICEF and the World Health Organization.
  • A Briton who takes a 5 minutes shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country uses in an entire day.
  • More people have a mobile phone than a sanitary water source.

What does access to a clean water source mean?

More Education

When children are freed from having to gathering water each day they return to school. This helps the population as a whole to become more educated.

Health

Having a secure and clean water source means that people can clean and sanitise themselves properly. This results in less sickness and people can get back to work quicker to provide for themselves and their families.

Food

Water is the basis for all life on the planet and is especially crucial to grow food. Having a secure water source means more crops and a beginning to self-sufficiency.

Access to water can break the cycle of poverty. Communities grow, are healthier and well fed. Children are educated and jobs are created so that people can lift themselves out of poverty.

Check out this interesting infographic courtesy of Water.org:

Water Infographic

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