Having access to clean water is one of the most important parts of basic survival. The planet contains enough fresh water to sustain our population but poor infrastructure and economics result in millions of people who die from diseases as a result of poor water supplies, sanitation and hygine.
The UN estimates that:
- 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources since 1990, but 663 million people are still without
- At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is fecally contaminated
- 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines
- More than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or sea without any pollution removal
- Each day,nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases
- Approximately 70 per cent of all water abstracted from rivers, lakes and aquifers is used for irrigation
To learn more about Goal 6, click on the poster Sanitation: Why it Matters.