Water is development

Photo Zafar © ateris here is today just as much fresh water on the earth as there was millions of years ago: about 40,000 cubic kilometers. But whereas there were 1 ,000 million people on the planet in 1820, there are 4,000 million today and there will be 6,000 million of us by the year 2000. Obviously this means that there is less water to go round. In addition, since the advent of the industrial era, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for water, commensurate with population growth and impro- ved living standards. Each individual is using more fresh water every day for domestic, agricultural and industrial use, so it is all the more urgent to protect the water that is available, to make the most of it and share it equally. The International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981- 1990). now half way through its course, is striving to bring safe water to everyone's doorstep. All too often, women and children spend hours in the drudgery of collecting water from remote and possibly polluted streams and wells. Having safe water means better health and nutrition, more time for education; it also means a better chance of a style of life that opens the way to social and economic growth. The technologies exist to bring water into every household. People must now work together to make this a reality and prove that "Happy are those who build their development on water". Health plays a crucial role in any effort for development, and good health is closely related to the status of water supply and sanitation. Our graph on the opposite page shows the direct and indirect effects of water supply and sanitation on health. lt indicates how water and health, in common with many other sectors, form a basis for development. • (.) ro <f) .:!!. ::2 z 0 .0 :c s development Photo WHO/C. Stauffer DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF WATER AND SANITATION ON HEALTH Economic development Production increase Marketing Improved nutrit ion Community and personal hygiene Interruption of water-related diseases Photos Water International © DJ In most developing countries, as here in Rwanda, women or children spend hours on the drudgery of collecting water from remote streams and wells that often are polluted. [I] When drought strikes in Mali, the wa ter has to be dug out from deeper and deeper into the ground. Prolonged drought is a disaster in both human and eco- nomic terms. [TIThe tap is the centre of attrac- tion in this Nepalese village, bring- ing progress and the hope of a better life to the inhabitants. @J & @J Hygienic disposal of hu- man excreta makes it possible to avoid contaminating the water used for human consumption. it guarantees protection against the infectious diseases that hamper development in so many rural and slum areas of the Third World. m To be able to wash is a luxury and a joy that should be available to everyone all over the world. Not only does it give a sense of comfort but, most importantly, it enables people to stay in good health. Photo WHO/C. Stauffer •••