GLOBAL WATER CRISIS

Statistics show in the United Nations Human Development Report, that a minimum of 1.1 billion people living in developing countries has inadequate access to clean, safe water. Furthermore, a staggering estimated 2.6 billion people of our population, lack basic sanitation.  (Shah 2010) 1.8 Million children are dying each year from diarrhea as a result of water pollution and inadequate sanitation. 

One of The Millennium Development Goals, which consists of numerous goals and targets to alleviate poverty by 2015 included to: “reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water.”

In 2010, it was reported that one third of the world population has to live in areas with insufficient water supply. It can be predicted that with continual climate change and population growth, in the future, the total number of people living in these conditions would escalate to half of the world’s population.

Reference: Thompson, L. (2008) Women Carrying Water. [Photograph] Available: http://www.wateraid.org/uk/about_us/media_centre/photo_downloads/default.asp. (Accessed: 17/04/2012)

The United Nations Human Development Report shows that inadequate water supply is strongly linked to poverty.  In developing countries, two in three people that live without access to adequate water supplies, survive on less than R15 a day. The water crisis extends itself beyond just a water problem. Overtime, the economy of the country is affected, as citizens are unable to work due to various water pollution diseases or sicknesses, which as a result has an overall impact on the countries functioning of the economy.

The United Nations has concurred that the water crisis is completely human-created and has only been a problem to this degree within the last two decades. It may be argued, that we are not necessarily dealing with a water shortage crisis, but rather a water management crisis globally.


UNESCO’s Third World Water Development Report predicts that by 2030, nearly half of humanity will be living in areas with major water stress. In some countries, pollution and depletion of economically important water resources have extended beyond the point of no return. Many nations face a future without reliable water systems.

Reference: Jansson, E.(2009) Unsafe Water Source [Photograph]. Available: http://www.wateraid.org/uk/about_us/media_centre/photo_downloads/default.asp. (Accessed: 18/04/2012)

In a documentary “World Without Water” compelled by Britain’s Channel 4, the documentary implies that the crisis is too, as a result of the commoditization of water.  In many countries, water has been promoted as a commodity as opposed to a human right.  By doing this, there is increased concern, that the poorer nations and people are too underprivileged to afford water.  Governments have placed a price on anything and everything even if it is not appropriate such as water, education and health among other things.

It can furthermore be noted that privatization of water resources in order to bring about business proficiency, has resulted in the poor no longer being able to afford and have access to basic needs such as water and adequate sanitation. The above documentary also notes that it is not necessarily privatization itself that is the issue at hand but rather the concept that it is not being practiced properly or fairly.

Water is a fundamental human right. It is a basic need with the perception of being a commodity; a privileged service that only the economically sound can afford. In Article 25 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which is the primary human rights policy that majority of the nations have signed, it states that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of circumstances beyond his control”.

In most countries, access to fresh, clean water is fast becoming a political problem, rather than a technical one. Water pollution is experienced everywhere around the world but has a major impact on third world and developing countries. (Shah 2010)

REFERENCE: Matson. (1936) African Woman Carrying Water [Photograph]. Available: http://www.middle-east-pictures.com/middle-east/Carrying-African-Woman-Water.html. (Accessed 18/04/2012)