On March 22, 1992, the United Nations established the World Water Day, a date that recalls the efforts of various international entities for awareness about this essential resource for planet Earth and for human survival.
One of the main challenges related to water in the world is the inequality in access to this vital resource: according to data from United Nations World Report on Water Resources Development, about 2.2 billion people in the world do not have access to clean water (about 25% of the world’s population) and more than 4.2 billion (over 50% of the world’s population) live without access to basic sanitation services.
The lack of access to drinking water has dramatic consequences worldwide, with about 2 million deaths "attributed per year to this problem, especially among children under 5 years old in developing countries. The inequality in access is also shocking: in countries where there is water scarcity, as is the case in the African continent, the average individual consumption is between ten to fifteen liters of water/day; in New York, a single person can use about two thousand liters of water/day."
Another major problem related to water is the inadequate and criminal management of the resource. Pollution, especially industrial and agricultural, contaminates rivers, lakes, and aquifers around the globe, making various water sources unsuitable for human consumption. This inadequate management also affects food production: agriculture is responsible for about 70% of water consumption (while only 6% is allocated to domestic consumption), but, unfortunately, it often resorts to excessive irrigation, which leads to soil degradation and a reduction in water quality.
To face all these challenges, it is necessary to implement policies and practices that ensure equitable access to water and contribute to the sustainable management of the resource. Organizations such as the UN and the World Bank have various action plans to serve as a guide for the implementation of water resource conservation and management policies, which include not only investments in water and sanitation infrastructure but also educating and raising awareness about responsible use.
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