Key words: water polluted water pipes to clean drinking water security global problems
The United Nations environment programme (unep) reports that 1.1 billion people worldwide are unable to access safe drinking water. Water pollution has become a global problem that seriously threatens human health and development. In developing countries, especially, the issue of drinking water is more acute.
In recent years, the issue of drinking water security has repeatedly touched a fragile nerve in both developing and developed countries, which has become a global challenge.
In December 2007, the United Nations environment programme reported that 1.1 billion people around the world cannot access safe drinking water, a problem that could be exacerbated by climate change and population growth. The UN has even warned that a third of the world's population will have to suffer from safe drinking water by 2025 if the world's population continues to grow.
Compared with developed countries, water safety is a concern for developing countries because of poor infrastructure. About 90 per cent of sewage in developing countries and 70 per cent of industrial waste water are dumped untreated into waterways, threatening the safety of drinking water, according to a UNESCO report. And the world health organization says, 88% of the world's disease should be blamed on unsafe water and lack the health facilities, disease caused by drinking water is not clean the phenomenon is more common in developing countries.
The safety of drinking water is particularly acute in Africa. In April 2007, the African water council of ministers, said in a report published in sub-saharan Africa, 40% to 60% of people do not have clean drinking water, many African countries is faced with the problem of water shortage.
The asia-pacific region has also been slow to provide safe drinking water and basic sanitation. In October 2007, the United Nations economic and social commission for Asia and Pacific institutions such as reported, at present the rural areas, about 560 million people drinking water condition has not improved, 1.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.
Even in Europe and America, drinking water is a serious problem. More than 100 million people in Europe still lack access to safe drinking water, the u.n. economic commission said in a statement. In the region of 56 members of the European economic commission, an average of 37 children die from diarrhoea every day due to lack of safe drinking water. In 2006, about 170,000 people in the pan-european region were sickened by lack of safe water, and 120,000 had hepatitis a.
Latest according to a survey by the American media, the United States in the drinking water supplies of 24 major cities contain a variety of pharmaceutical ingredients, such as antibiotics and sedatives at least 41 million people in daily life this unsafe drinking water. The report, completed by the Associated Press, says the safety of drinking water in the United States cannot be ignored. From the western state of California to the eastern state of New Jersey, there are "rich" ingredients in the drinking water of 24 major cities and regions of the United States. In addition to antibiotics and sedatives, there are a variety of drug residues including sex hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. Investigators even found 56 drugs in drinking water in Philadelphia.
Water is the source of life, and the freshwater resources available for human life are very limited. , however, is the continued shortage of water resources, while it is some areas of extravagant consumption and pollution of water resource, drinking water safety problem has aroused by the adverse effects on human health and economic development, the problem also gradually become an important challenge faced by many countries.