Cities and villages in northern and central India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique are facing acute water scarcity threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions, new analysis by WaterAid shows.
While underground aquifers in other areas such as northern Australia and California are also facing serious depletion, it is the world’s poorest regions and nations which will feel the strongest impact, as large numbers of their residents have already struggled historically to access to a reliable, safe source of water.
We need to step up efforts to mitigate climate change, to help the poorest countries adapt to the change already upon them, and to ensure nations are making the most of this precious resource by prioritising and financing access to water, sanitation and hygiene for all."
In India, 163 million people are without access to clean water close to home, or 15% of all rural residents and 7% of all urban residents.
Despite almost-annual monsoon flooding, fresh water that is safe to drink is an increasingly precious commodity, from depleted groundwater sources, dwindling rainfall and rising seas that leave water saline.
Some 17.5 million people in the country are without access to clean water close to home, including almost 40% of rural residents.
Some 14.7 million people in the country are already without access to clean water close to home.
Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25.8 million people with clean water and 25.1 million people with decent toilets.
· 844 million people in the world – one in nine – do not have clean water close to home.
[5] · To find out if countries are keeping their promises on water and sanitation, see the online database www.WASHwatch.orghttp://www.WASHwatch.org [1] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselineshttps://washdata.org/reports [2] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselineshttps://washdata.org/reports [3] washwatch.org [4] World Health organization (2012) Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach the MDG target and universal coverage [5] www.wateraid.org