Polluted Water Supply: Who Is At Risk?

Water pollution is a pressing issue that affects billions of people worldwide. Unsafe water causes approximately 1.8 million deaths per year and sickens about 1 billion people annually. The impact of water pollution is felt by people of all ages and backgrounds, but it disproportionately affects those in low-income communities and developing nations. Children, in particular, are vulnerable to water-related diseases, and inadequate access to clean water can hinder their health, education, and long-term well-being.

Those in water-stressed countries

Water scarcity affects billions of people worldwide, and this number is expected to increase due to global warming and population growth. Water-related hazards such as floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, which is exacerbating water scarcity. As of 2021, over 2 billion people live in water-stressed countries, and this is only expected to worsen in some regions.

Water scarcity can be divided into two categories: physical scarcity, which is a shortage of water due to local ecological conditions, and economic scarcity, which is caused by inadequate water infrastructure. Inadequate management of urban, industrial, and agricultural wastewater contaminates the drinking water of hundreds of millions of people.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the most water-stressed region in the world. MENA countries tend to have fast-growing, densely populated urban centers that require more water. However, many wealthier MENA countries meet their water needs through food imports and desalination of abundant seawater.

By 2050, an additional 1 billion people are expected to live with extremely high water stress, and global water demand is projected to increase by 20-25%. This will majorly disrupt economies and agricultural production, threatening food security and energy supply.

Water stress can have devastating effects on public health and economic development. More than 2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water, and nearly double that number lack adequate sanitation services. This can lead to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, polio, hepatitis A, and diarrhea.

Water scarcity also threatens a community's access to food, leading to both acute and chronic hunger. Children in these communities are at higher risk of conditions stemming from malnutrition, such as stunting and wasting, as well as chronic illnesses due to poor diet, such as diabetes.

To address water scarcity, countries can improve water governance, incentivize water efficiency in agriculture, adopt integrated water resource management, and enhance water infrastructure through nature-based solutions and green infrastructure.

Those without access to clean water

Water is a vital resource and a basic human right. However, a significant portion of the global population still lacks access to clean and safe drinking water. According to the United Nations, about 2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and this issue is expected to be exacerbated by climate change and population growth.

One of the main consequences of limited access to clean water is the increased risk of waterborne diseases. Microbiologically contaminated drinking water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. It is estimated that approximately 505,000 diarrhoeal deaths occur each year due to contaminated drinking water. In addition, inadequate water and sanitation services expose individuals to preventable health risks, especially in healthcare facilities.

Lack of clean water also has social and economic impacts. In communities without access to improved water sources, women and girls often bear the burden of collecting water, spending an estimated 200 million hours and walking long distances daily. This reduces their opportunities for education, income-generating activities, and spending time with their families.

The availability of clean water is closely linked to food security. Water insecurity can lead to food insecurity as agriculture relies heavily on water. Additionally, families with limited water access may struggle to irrigate their gardens or farms, impacting their ability to grow nutritious food year-round.

To address these challenges, organisations like World Vision are working to provide protected and permanent water sources to communities in need. They utilise technologies such as piped-water systems and drilled boreholes to ensure continuous water flow and rigorous testing to maintain water quality.

Impacts of water pollution

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances contaminate bodies of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans and the environment. This can include chemicals, waste, plastic, and other pollutants. According to the NRDC, unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined.

Water pollution has far-reaching consequences, including health risks, ecological damage, and economic impacts. Contaminated water can cause various diseases, and low-income communities are disproportionately affected as they are often located closest to the most polluting industries. Additionally, water pollution can lead to algal blooms, reducing oxygen levels in the water and creating "dead zones" devoid of aquatic life.

Agricultural practices, sewage and wastewater, oil spills, and radioactive substances are significant contributors to water pollution. Climate change also exacerbates the issue, as rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns impact water availability and quality.

Those in rural areas

In some countries, such as India and Nepal, open defecation is a common practice due to a lack of sanitation infrastructure. This is particularly prevalent in rural communities and can lead to water contamination. In Nepal, a study found that 75% of drinking water samples from schools were contaminated with faecal bacteria.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of the population lacks safe drinking water, and more than 25% of the population must walk 30 minutes or more to collect water. This is a burden that falls on women and girls the vast majority of the time, and it takes away from other important tasks such as income generation, childcare, and household chores.

In the United States, nearly 40% of Americans rely on groundwater for drinking water, and for some in rural areas, it is their only freshwater source. Groundwater can be easily contaminated by pesticides, fertilizers, and waste from landfills and septic systems, rendering it unsafe for human use.

Rural areas are also affected by agricultural pollution, which is the leading cause of water degradation worldwide. Farms and livestock operations wash fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste into waterways, causing nutrient pollution which can lead to harmful algal blooms.

Those in low-income communities

People in low-income communities are disproportionately affected by polluted water supplies. Globally, over 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces, and in low- and middle-income countries, 15 out of every 100 patients in acute-care hospitals will acquire a health care-associated infection during their stay. Inadequate management of wastewater means that the drinking water of hundreds of millions of people is contaminated or chemically polluted.

In low-income communities, people are often placed closest to the most polluting industries. For example, in Nepal, over 20% of the population lives below the poverty line, and in a disturbing study, 75% of drinking water samples from schools were contaminated with faecal bacteria. Similarly, in the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the United States, almost 8,000 homes lack access to safe drinking water.

The burden of fetching and carrying water often falls on women and girls, taking up critical time that could be spent on income generation, childcare, and household chores. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 25% of the population must walk 30 minutes or more to collect water, and in many developing nations, women are tasked with the responsibility of water collection.

Polluted water supplies have severe health consequences for low-income communities. Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 2 billion people have no option but to drink water contaminated by excrement, exposing them to cholera, hepatitis A, and dysentery. Diarrhoeal diseases linked to a lack of hygiene cause the deaths of about 1,000 children a day worldwide, and unsafe drinking water sickens about 1 billion people annually.

Those in developing nations

In developing nations, polluted water supplies affect billions of people, with a lack of access to clean water being one of the most pressing challenges of our time. In 2015, 29% of the global population suffered from a lack of access to safely managed drinking water, with more than double that number at risk of water contamination. This is particularly true in rural communities in South Asian and sub-Saharan African countries, where open defecation is a major contributor to water contamination. In these regions, women and girls are disproportionately affected, as they are often tasked with the time-consuming responsibility of water collection, which takes away critical time from income generation, childcare, and household chores.

In developing nations, inadequate water management systems and poor sanitation infrastructure are prevalent, leading to water scarcity and contamination. This is further exacerbated by climate change and population growth, with rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns disrupting water availability and quality. As a result, developing nations are particularly vulnerable to water-related hazards such as floods and droughts, which can contaminate water sources and impact water security.

The consequences of polluted water supplies in developing nations are dire, with unsafe water causing approximately 505,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year and contributing to the spread of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. In addition, inadequate water supplies and sanitation services expose individuals to preventable health risks, especially in healthcare facilities. The lack of access to clean water also impacts economic growth and contributes to poverty, as communities are unable to utilise water resources for agriculture, food production, and other economic activities.

Furthermore, polluted water supplies in developing nations have far-reaching effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Water pollution can trigger the proliferation of phytoplankton in lakes, known as eutrophication, which depletes aquatic ecosystems and introduces toxins into the food chain. This contamination of water sources can have long-lasting impacts on the environment and human health, affecting both wildlife and communities that depend on these water resources for survival.

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