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11 Facts About Water in the Developing World

Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

  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.]
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