Water and poverty
Over a billion people in the world do not have access to safe water, and over two billion lack adequate sanitation. As a result over two million people die from diseases related to lack of safe drinking water every year. A lack of clean water not only means less water for drinking, but also means less for irrigating crops and watering livestock, and reduced opportunities for industrial development and economic growth.
The lack of clean water close to people's homes affects people's time, livelihoods and quality of life. Many women and children in developing countries spend hours each day walking miles to collect water. Carrying heavy water containers is an exhausting task, which takes up valuable time and energy. It prevents women from doing vital domestic or income generating work and stops children from going to school.
Access to water and sanitation is an essential part of poverty alleviation and development. It reduces illness and deaths, and frees up time for education and other economic and social development. For example, having a water supply nearby saves women time, by removing the burden of long-distance water-collection. Women can spend their extra time and energy on activities to enhance the family income such as manufacturing goods, selling services or agricultural production. Household income goes up because they no longer have to pay for water from commercial vendors, and they have less need to spend money on health care for illness. Without easy access to these facilities, time spent on water collection and household income spent on medical treatment and water purchase, all contribute to keeping people in poverty.
Millennium Development Goal 7:Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Target 10:Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water