With Earth day approaching on April 23rd, we’re once again being reminded of the impact we have on our planet, and steps we need to take (urgently!) to help save it, and us, from the impact of climate change. Alongside rising populations and increasing food demands, water remains one of the most crucial resources needed universally. This led to the first United Nations conference in nearly 50 years dedicated to water occurring at the end of March, aimed to tackle current and future issues of water and sanitation. As part of the conference, data from 2000 & 2020 has been analysed, to show what progress we’re making and what still needs to be done.Since 2000, the number of people with no access to safe drinking water, and those without proper sanitation, has more than halved, as has the number in both categories who have seen no improvement (see ‘A Tale of Two Halves’). However, the number of people with limited access has increased, and those with basic access to water and sanitation has stagnated in the 20-year gap. Whilst this is an improvement on lower categories, it’s still not at the levels of full access we may have hoped for. It’s also important to remember that the global population has increased by around 1.5 billion between these years.
Whilst this paints a generally optimistic picture overall, the disparity between different regions is stark. Split into seven regions, the UN has compared access to safe drinking water in 2000 to 2020 geographically (see ‘The Neglect of Africa’). As you may have expected, regions like Europe, North America, and Oceania have decreased in water inaccessibility further from their already low starting points. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia has seen a strong decrease in water accessibility, and Central and Southern Asia is also making progress. However, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the area of biggest issue, and shockingly has seen an increase in people without basic drinking water between 2000 and 2020, with an estimated 70% lacking this basic service.
Access to water may be an issue for some now, but it seems set to become a much wider issue in the near future. From analysis of data between 1901 and 2010, drought risk looks to be a major issue across much of the world, including mainland Europe and Southern Asia (see ‘Scorched Earth’). But drought deaths aren’t a spectre for the future, this alarming fate has already begun. In 2022, it is estimated that around 43,000 people may have died due to drought and lack of rainfall in Somalia (Eastern Africa). Even rainforest areas in South America face moderate drought risks, especially if deforestation isn’t curtailed following the replacement of President Jair Bolsonaro at the start of this year.
The study also looked at ten of the worst countries for faecal exposure in water supplies, including Chad, Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Nepal. No country has above a third with access to low contamination risk water, with some extending up to 50% with high risk. Even countries like Nepal, which see a high population of tourists, Everest climbers, and movie settings face huge disparities in water access and sanitation, even in 2019.
But what can we do to help alleviate these issues? Water security has not been a priority recently, including at COP27, but with the water crisis set to become more prevalent, it is increasingly being given more attention. Furthermore, there are many schemes and projects dedicated to increasing water and sanitation access across the world, which you can donate to, or in some cases volunteer for. We can also look to more scientific solutions, such as increased use of crop engineering and drip irrigation techniques, to make our water go further. But we can also do things ourselves! By taking simple steps like shorter showers, turning off the taps, and changing how we use water in our day-to-day lives, we can work to alleviate these issues as much as possible before we have to.
The data paints a grim picture, but progress has begun, and with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal targets, we may still be able to remedy some of the problems our planet faces.
Read the full article here – https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00842-3?fbclid=IwAR2jC0KDrdAitiLK6pkfuWWvTc5e7_SqpTewRseDHNxIcEDwzvMeu_4-z5M
Earth Day Website – https://www.earthday.org