9 remarkable facts about water

A girl looks at water from the Nile flowing from a pump in the Manshiyet Nasser shantytown in eastern Cairo May 18, 2010.

World Water Week runs from 28 August to 2 September. Image: REUTERS/Amr Dalsh

Alex Gray
Senior Writer, Forum Agenda

Without water, there would be no life on Earth. Yet there is still significant inequality between those who have access to water and those that don’t.

This year’s World Water Week brings scientists, business leaders, policy-makers and community organisations together to tackle many of the world’s water issues. These are some of the things they will be talking about.

1. Only 0.5% of the earth’s water is suitable for human consumption

 Fresh water available
Image: UN water

2. According to a comprehensive study by McKinsey & Co, by 2030, demand for water will exceed sustainable supply by 40%.

Image: Reuters

3. Agriculture accounts for as much as 90% of global water consumption.

Image: Reuters

4. More than 650 million people around the world do not have access to safe water.

Image: Reuters

5. 42% of healthcare facilities in Africa do not have access to clean water within half a kilometre.

Image: Reuters

6. 842,000 adult and child deaths from diarrhoea could be prevented each year with access to clean drinking water

Image: Stockholm International Water Institute

Things are improving.

7. From 1990 to 2015, 47,000 people per day in sub-Saharan Africa gained access to improved drinking water

 Population with access to drinking water in the world in 1990- 2000- 2015
Image: WHO/UNICEF JMP

8. So did half a billion people in China

 147 countries have met the MDG drinking water target
Image: WHO/UNICEF

9. Clean water and sanitation for all is the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 6.

 Health in the SDG Era
Image: WHO

World Water Week runs from 28 August to 2 September and this year is focused on Water for Sustainable Growth.



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