What Are Some
Global Water Crisis Facts?
There is a plethora of global water crisis facts
The World Health Organization and United Nations International Children’s Fund report that 785 million people lack a basic drinking-water service. The report continues by reporting that, globally, at least 2 billion people use a source contaminated with feces that can transmit diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and dysentery.1
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says an estimated 801,000 children younger than 5 perish from diarrhea annually, mostly in developing countries.2 The World Health Organization reports that 502,000 people die each year from diarrhea—caused by unsafe drinking water.3 No matter the number of people who die from diarrhea, it is important to remember that diarrhea is easily prevented and treated. Access to clean drinking water is crucial in this fight.
Other reports estimate that 2.1 billion people have no access to safely managed drinking water and 159 million people get their drinking water directly from surface water sources.4 These sources are often contaminated. The report also says that 263 million people must travel more than 30 minutes daily to collect their water.
According to the United Nations, 1.9 billion people (27 percent of the world’s population) live in “potentially severely water-scarce” areas.5
These facts make the severity of the water crisis evident. People need help and GFA has been dedicated to helping solve the crisis in Asia for decades, and has started looking for solutions in Africa. We’re very familiar with the problem and our solutions are very effective.
We provide water wells to communities, BioSand water filters to homes, and education to children and families.
1 “Drinking-water. Key facts.” World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water, June 14, 2019.
2 “Global Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH).” Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html. Accessed September 17, 2020.
3 Drinking-water. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water. February 7, 2018. Accessed December 26, 2018.
4 Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. 2017. Accessed December 26, 2018.
5 The United Nations world water development report 2018: nature-based solutions for water; facts and figures. UNESCO Digital Library, p. 2. 2018.