The Impact of Clean Water on the Developing World

An astounding “.. 800 million people still live without safe drinking water. What’s more, almost two-fifths of the world’s people lack access to sanitation”(“Clean Water ”). The lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region is referred to as water scarcity which can address “...either the lack of enough water (quantity) or lack of access to safe water” (“What is Water”).  Development of safe infrastructure to access clean water is extremely time consuming and expensive, thus resulting in the economic scarcity of water. In addition, the issue can be further compounded in areas where there is also a physical scarcity of water. When addressing poverty and disease in the developing world, the lack of access to clean drinking water is an often overlooked issue.The impact of inadequate infrastructure on water scarcity must be addressed to improve educational and economic progress in the developing world.

      The insufficiency of proper water infrastructure that would allow officials to safely monitor and improve access to water has further aggravated the issue of water scarcity in the developing world. As an illustration "..54 percent of India's groundwater wells are decreasing … Unless patterns shift, in 20 years, 60 percent of India's aquifers will be in critical condition."(“Schleifer 2017”). The global water supply is dependent on the often disregarded underground aquifers that are currently being depleted at a dangerously unsustainable rate. Although officials have established the importance of ecosystems in maintaining the natural infrastructure that is essential to replenishing the water supply, “watersheds have lost up to 22 percent of their forests in the past 14 years” (“Schleifer 2017”). The cost of simply accessing clean water is low when compared to the cost of infrastructure required to treat and dispose of wastewater, causing “80 percent of the world's wastewater to be discharged back into nature without further

treatment or reuse” (“Schleifer 2017”); consequently polluting the already available water resources. A confluence of factors concerning the natural ecosystem and human infrastructure contribute to the increasing water scarcity in the developing world.    

        Water scarcity is responsible for the endemic sickness pervasive in the developing world preventing educational and economic progress. The prevalence of illness and poor health in developing countries where as much as “80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions” (“Facts About Water”), is mostly attributed to a dearth of clean water. Contaminated water and lack of basic sanitation undermine efforts to end extreme poverty and disease in the world’s poorest countries. The lack of medical resources leaves the poor particularly vulnerable to chronic illnesses that impede their economic and educational progress. The consumption and usage of impure water is detrimental to the education of the youth population in impoverished communities. Students who suffer from a waterborne illness typically cannot attend school with “443 million school days.. lost each year due to water-related diseases.” (“Facts About Water”). Furthermore,  it is estimated that 40 billion hours per year are squandered away collecting water in the Sub-Sahara alone, which is equivalent to the annual labor capacity of France (“Facts About Water”). The absence of water and sanitation infrastructure forces underprivileged individuals and their communities to waste valuable time that could otherwise be used for economic development.   

Water scarcity is responsible for the endemic sickness pervasive in the developing world preventing educational and economic progress. The prevalence of illness and poor health in developing countries where as much as “80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions” (“Facts About Water”), is mostly attributed to a dearth of clean water. Contaminated water and lack of basic sanitation undermine efforts to end extreme poverty and disease in the world’s poorest countries. The lack of medical resources leaves the poor particularly vulnerable to chronic illnesses that impede their economic and educational progress.

The consumption and usage of impure water is detrimental to the education of the youth population in impoverished communities. Students who suffer from a waterborne illness typically cannot attend school with “443 million school days.. lost each year due to water-related diseases.” (“Facts About Water”). Furthermore,  it is estimated that 40 billion hours per year are squandered away collecting water in the Sub-Sahara alone, which is equivalent to the annual labor capacity of France (“Facts About Water”). The absence of water and sanitation infrastructure forces underprivileged individuals and their communities to waste valuable time that could otherwise be used for economic development.  

 The dismal state of water and sanitation infrastructure both human and environmental  must be addressed to solve the issue of water scarcity in the developing world. Kenyan farmers and many larger agricultural companies that depend on a single watershed that they seek to maintain for household water supplies and irrigation purposes express that, “a...fence will allow...local public and private organizations to...control forest access, thereby protecting the watershed..45,000 people.. will benefit directly from increased farm yields...Between 500,000 and 3 million people will indirectly benefit from...watershed protection.." (“Africa’s Flashes). The integrity of watersheds and their natural infrastructure are constantly jeopardized by illegal activity from cultivators and grazing in rural communities. As indicated, the construction of barriers around the watershed has the potential to decelerate the destruction of watersheds due to human interference. To further diversify and solidify the availability of water resources, "The project team will install simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly RHM systems, including roof catchments systems for domestic water use and farm ponds for livestock and agriculture use." (“Africa’s Flashes). The installation of RHM systems that utilize low-cost and environment friendly technology for domestic water use and  agricultural purposes improves health and food security, thus ensuring access to safe and clean water needed for industrial as well as domestic purposes and reducing dependence on a single source of water. As a part of the efforts that took place in Ethiopia to improve food and water security "..farmers stopped using...degraded land..to allow trees..to naturally regenerate...farmers also constructed stone bunds and terraces.., which...helped groundwater recharge in valleys, which allowed people to dig shallow wells that they could use to irrigate crops.." (“Schleifer 2017”). The restoration that took place in Ethiopia illustrates the impact that regeneration of vegetation and simple changes in land topography have on improved water security. In addition, the economic benefit of improving water and sanitation infrastructure is substantial as “...each $1 invested would create an economic return of between $3 and $34..” (“Facts About Water”). Despite the fact that many communities do have access to clean drinking water, they lack the basic infrastructure to properly apply their resources. This is especially prevalent in developing countries that suffer from a shortage of the economic resources needed to establish the water and sanitation infrastructure necessary for providing access to clean water. It is evident that improving access to clean water is essential to the economic progress of the developing world and can be done so in a sustainable manner.

Works Cited

“Access to Safe Drinking Water and Basic Sanitation Are Vital for Health, Especially among Children.” Clean Water and Sanitation: the Keys to Breaking Free from Poverty, World Vision, www.worldvision.com.au/global-issues/work-we-do/climate-change/clean-water-sanitation.

"Africa's flashes of genius." African Business, Aug.-Sept. 2006, p. 42+. General Reference Center GOLD, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A150502701/GRGM?u=dove10524&sid=GRGM&xid=a919bff7. Accessed 21 Feb. 2019.

“The Water Crisis: Poverty and Water Scarcity in Africa.” The Water Project, www.thewaterproject.org/why-water/poverty  

Schleifer, Leah. “7 Reasons We're Facing a Global Water Crisis.” World  Resources Institute, World Resources Institute, 24 Aug. 2017, www.wri.org/blog/2017/08/7-reasons-were-facing-global-water-crisis