Unsafe drinking water is a massive problem in the world and yet the problem is not that there is not enough safe drinking water. The problem is that a large percentage of the earth’s population simply does not have access to safe drinking water. Here are 5 facts about unsafe drinking water to help you understand more about this problem.
Unsafe Water And Sanitation Problems Kill More Than Wars Do With Guns
This isn’t just about unsafe drinking water but unsafe drinking water is a big part of it. Can you believe that unsafe water and sanitation diseases kill more than wars kill with guns? So much money and incredible amounts of resources are squandered on less important things when unsafe water and problems with sanitation are killing more people than wars every year.
Compare this to many of the problems that individuals and even some countries face. How important is it to put money toward other goals when there are so many people in the world who live without access to safe drinking water? How important is anything else when there are people dying because they don’t have something as basic as safe water to drink?
About One In Eight People Don’t Have Access To Safe Water Supplies
One out of eight people is a staggering figure. This means that there are 884 million people who don’t have safe drinking water or safe water for other purposes. There is often a misconception that there are many people in certain countries who do not have safe drinking water but that the total number is not that big. When you realize that a full 884 million people are living without access to safe drinking water then you realize how huge this problem is and you may start to wonder why more isn’t done about it. Especially when you learn about this next fact.
3.575 Million People Die Every Year Because Of Unsafe Water
This lack of access to unsafe drinking water is doing a lot more than just making people sick. It’s killing them. An unfathomable 3.575 million people die every year just because of diseases that they catch through their unsafe water supplies. This is happening every year. Remember, it is not because there isn’t enough clean, safe drinking water in the world. It is because these individuals just don’t have access to it.
People In Slums Pay Anywhere From 5 To 10 Times More For Water
The people who live in slums, who already don’t have the money for adequate living arrangements, are forced to pay anywhere from 5 to 10 times more for every liter of water than people who are wealthy who live in the very same city. This is outrageous. People are charged money they don’t have for something they need to live.
A Five Minute Shower Is More Water Than People In Slums Use In A Day
For Americans, a shower lasting only 5 minutes will use more water than individuals who live in slum settings in developing countries will be able to use in the course of an entire day. That’s something to think about.
Thomas Henry Rheinecker generally likes to blog about degree requirements for students interested in earning public health degrees online.
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