Go to your kitchen or bathroom. Turn on the faucet. Drink what comes out. Most of us take water for granted because most of us have ready access to clean water but this is not the case in a huge portion of the world.

The world water crisis is one of the largest public health issues of our time. Nearly 1.1 billion people (roughly 20% of the world’s population) lack access to safe drinking water. The lack of clean, safe drinking water is estimated to kill almost 4,500 children per day. In fact, out of the 2.2 million unsafe drinking water deaths in 2004, 90% were children under the age of five. Water is essential to the treatment of diseases, something especially critical for children.
This problem isn’t confined to a particular region of the world. A third of the Earth’s population lives in “water stressed” countries and that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next two decades. The crisis is worst in developing countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

To highlight the international water crisis the United Nations has declared March 22nd as World Water Day. There are a number of events across the country and the world as well as many ways you can get involved. Visit the official World Water Day website for details.

Image Via / Observatorio del Desarrollo