Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/802476
Safer Water for Everyone: A Closer Look at Global H20 Efforts Access to Safe Wate r is Vital for Healthy Societies Billions of lives depend on access to clean drinking water and safe sanitation facilities. Without these things, human society is at risk: unsafe water — whether for drinking or production services — is often tied to disease s, crime, and even death. Various factors impact water quality, including pollutants, overpopulation, climate conditions, and safe and functioning sanitation systems. Safe and available water supports personal safety and economic stability, yet current w orld water statistics are grim: the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that an estimated 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, a figure representing more than 35 percent of the world's population. Another staggering statistic: 19 perc ent of low and middle income countries do not have improved sanitation and 35 percent of low - and middle - income countries lack water. While many people may take safe toilet sanitation for granted, the reality is that unsafe or restricted toilet access ha s a deep impact on the population at large, linked to approximately 700,000 preventable child fatalities every year, in addition to the millions of cases of diseases. In 2015, for example, UNICEF reported that diarrhea kills 526,000 children under 5 every year. To that end, initiatives to raise safe water and sanitation awareness are more important than ever. The WHO estimates that by 2025, half of the world's population will be living in "water - stressed areas." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prev ention ( CDC) also reports that water , sanitation, and hygiene have the potential to prevent at least 9.1% of the global disease burden and 6.3% of all deaths. The good news is that global efforts aimed at raising awareness of the importance of safer wate r and improved sanitation systems are emerging, as highlighted through initiatives including World Plumbing Day on March 11, World Water Day on March 22, and South Africa's Water Month also held in March. And all year long, the International Organization f or Standardization's ( ISO) Project Committee 305, sustainable non - sewered sanitation systems, works toward standardizing innovative technologies to improve the world's water crisis. The PSAI is proud to be a member of Project Committee 305, working with or ganizations around the world to set standards for sanitation systems and to improve the plight of people lacking these most basic systems. World Water Day, March 22 nd World Water Day on March 22 calls attention to the importance of freshwater and promotes sustainable management of freshwater resources. Recommended by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) 25 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly officially launched World Water Day on March 22, 1993. As each World Wa ter Day underscores a specific aspect of freshwater, this year, the theme will be "wastewater." As the official site explains, "Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to n ature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials." "Instead of wasting wastewater, we need to reduce and reuse it," the site explains. "In our homes, we can reuse grey water on our gardens and plots. In our cities we can treat and reuse wastewater for green spaces. In industries and agriculture, we can treat and recycle discharge for things like cooling systems and irrigation." W EEKLY EDITION MAR 22, 2017 P AGE 13