To So and her colleagues at the World Bank, water safety is inseparable from sanitation—access to which lags far behind clean water. The need for clean water is apparent to almost everyone, she notes, but in many areas where open defecation is still the norm, the demand for sanitation is just not there yet. And where proper sanitation is scarce, any vulnerable water sources are much more likely to become contaminated.
By the U.N.'s development goals, sanitation is not expected to meet the target improvements by 2015. By the World Bank's count, poor sanitation—and its subsequent contamination of water supplies—costs India some $53.8 billion each year (some 6.4 percent of the country's entire gross domestic product), not to mention untold number of deaths and illnesses. And as a threat to safe drinking water, So says, "sanitation is the big crisis." Further, simply plodding toward its 2015 target is keeping millions in jeopardy of unsafe water. "Improvements cannot be 'slowly but surely,'" So says. "It's taken way too long for the world to get rid of a simple problem."
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Add CommentI hate to have to mention it, but a significant factor in this equation is that the global population has nearly tripled since 1950 - the supply of potable water has not. Moreover, the increase in population has come disproportionately in areas where potable water is exceedingly scarce. I do not want to see anyone suffer - potable water (and food) cannot be continually supplied to an ever increasing global population.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe root cause must be effectively addressed.
What part of population control is such a mystery? Average children per woman in Kentys is 7.1 In Canada it's 1.3
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOnly action I support is vending machines on every corner of every street in every village dispensing free condoms and birth control pills.
I said it once and its worth repeating:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFirst stop polluting perfectly good water and pumping it underground to get Natural Gas!! Why in hell are we allowing Gas companies to pump water that has been contaminated with chemicals into the ground where it will likely remain for hundreds of years or until people decide they have to pump it out and clean it in order to drink it? Human beings are the most retarded of species! The deficate right in the same place they eat and then invite others to come over do the same all so they drive around in cars! The answer is obvious and right under our noses but greed stops us from taking the obvious course to correct these most basic of problems!
If you want to talk about population control issues; one should look at the fact that researchers and governments are spending huge amounts of money trying stop Malaria thereby saving millions of lives! I am all for saving lives but if you save lives you have to also spend money on figuring out how in hell you are going to support the addition of another million plus people in countries that already cannot sustain the people already alive! No food, water, job prospects, and no infrastructure - what are we doing? Common sense says spend money figuring out how support the people alive first then worry about those dying from diseases which are most likely here as a natural form of population control!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have never understood why the feminist movement have not done more to liberate their sisters from the oppressive traditions prevalent in male dominated societies where women often have no more status than beasts of burden. The two most effective means of achieving a lower population is education & much more equal rights between the sexes. When women have access to education & are able to say no, particularly without contraceptive protection, all the other things will fall into place. Corruption is by far the greatest hindrance to the advancement of under developed societies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs for disease control, birth rates have always decreased when societies have become healthier.
On the physical side of the water supply problem, just imagine how much could have been done with the money wasted on AGW.
The most tragic side of this situation is that those in dire need of help are those least able to help themselves, and often the ones with birth rates that are completely unsustainable now, not just in the future.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisQuote: birth rates that are completely unsustainable now, not just in the future
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnswer: We build massive structures to grow food. It is a pretty simple solution and anybody who says it cannot be done is either very stupid or has an agenda which they haven't fully researched. Imho.
"30-story building built in 15 days"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"In 2013 we will build 20 buildings a month and by 2014, we'll be up to 50 buildings a month"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdpf-MQM9vY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_farming
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Vertical farming is a concept that argues that it is economically and environmentally viable to cultivate plant or animal life within skyscrapers, or on vertically inclined surfaces."
http://www.verticalfarm.com/
Actually, the single most effective way to reduce population is to increase urbanization. Africa's population except two or three countries) is rather low by European and Asian standards. The problem is lack of communication and infrastructure. Water can be recycled.
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