Water = Life

Safe water for all !

 

• 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water

 

• 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation (2002, UNICEF/WHO JMP 2004)

 

• 1.8 million people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases.

 

• 3'900 children die every day from water borne diseases (WHO 2004)

 

• Daily per capita use of water in residential areas:

  - 350 litres in North America and Japan

  - 200 litres in Europe

  - 10-20 litres in sub-Saharan Africa

 

• Over 260 river basins are shared by two or more countries mostly without adequate legal or institutional arrangements.

 

• Quantity of water needed to produce 1 kg of (D.Zimmer and D.Renault, 2003):

  - wheat: 1'000 L

  - rice: 1'400 L

  - beef: 13'000 L

source: http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/