11 Facts About Water in the Developing World

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1. 884 million people in the world lack access to safe water supplies.^[United Nations. "Water for the World." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
2. More than 840,000 people die each year from water-related disease.^[Water.org. "MILLIONS LACK SAFE WATER." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
3. Almost 2 in 3 people who need safe drinking water survive on less than $2 a day.^[Episcopal Relief & Development. "Clean Water Facts." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
4. In many developing countries, millions of women spend several hours a day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources.^[Episcopal Relief & Development. "Clean Water Facts." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
5. Every minute a child dies of a water-related disease.^[Water.org. "MILLIONS LACK SAFE WATER." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
6. Diarrhea caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene kills an estimated 842,000 people every year globally, or approximately 2,300 people per day.^[Tropical Medicine and International Health. "Burden of disease from inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene in low- and middle-income settings: a retrospective analysis of data from 145 countries." John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
7. More than 1/2 of all primary schools in developing countries don't have adequate water facilities and nearly 2/3 lack adequate sanitation.^[Burgers, Lizette. "Background and Rationale for School Sanitation and Hygiene Education." UNICEF. Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
8. Clean water is one aspect of improving sustainable food production in order to reduce poverty and hunger.^[United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. "Water and Poverty." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
9. More than 80% of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated, polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas.^[World Water Assessment Programme (United Nations) Staff. Water in a changing world. 3rd ed. Paris: UNESCO, United Nations Publications, 2009.]
10. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions.^[United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. "Water scarcity." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
11. Every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates $8 as a result of saved time, increased productivity and reduced health care costs.^[Tansey, Sara. "Water for the World Act reintroduced to Senate." ONE, 2011. Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]