“The poor continue to be the worst affected, with 50 per cent of the population in developing countries exposed to polluted water sources”, says the report. Asian rivers are the most polluted in the world, with three times as many bacteria from human waste as the global average. Moreover, these rivers have 20 times more lead than those of industrialized countries.
“The future of many parts of the world looks bleak”, says the report, in reference to projected population growth, which will continue to be a driving factor in the water crisis. Per capita water supplies decreased by one third between 1970 and 1990, according to the report. Even though birth rates are slowing down, the world’s population should still reach about 9.3 billion by 2050 (compared to 6.1 billion in 2001).
“Water consumption has almost doubled in the last 50 years. A child born in the developed world consumes 30 to 50 times the water resources of one in the developing world. Meanwhile water quality continues to worsen. Every day, 6000 people, mostly children under the age of five, die from diarrhoeal diseases”, says the report. “These statistics illustrate the enormity of the problems facing the world with respect to its water resources, and the startling disparities that exist in its utilization”, it states.
“The future of many parts of the world looks bleak”, says the report, in reference to projected population growth, which will continue to be a driving factor in the water crisis. Per capita water supplies decreased by one third between 1970 and 1990, according to the report. Even though birth rates are slowing down, the world’s population should still reach about 9.3 billion by 2050 (compared to 6.1 billion in 2001).
“Water consumption has almost doubled in the last 50 years. A child born in the developed world consumes 30 to 50 times the water resources of one in the developing world. Meanwhile water quality continues to worsen. Every day, 6000 people, mostly children under the age of five, die from diarrhoeal diseases”, says the report. “These statistics illustrate the enormity of the problems facing the world with respect to its water resources, and the startling disparities that exist in its utilization”, it states.