30. Even as the quality of available water is constantly diminishing,
in some places there is a growing tendency, despite its scarcity, to
privatize this resource, turning it into a commodity subject to the laws
of the market. Yet access to safe drinkable water is a basic and
universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as
such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights. Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity.
This debt can be paid partly by an increase in funding to provide clean
water and sanitary services among the poor. But water continues to be
wasted, not only in the developed world but also in developing countries
which possess it in abundance. This shows that the problem of water is
partly an educational and cultural issue, since there is little
awareness of the seriousness of such behaviour within a context of great
inequality.
31. Greater scarcity of water will lead to an increase in the cost of food and the various products which depend on its use. Some studies warn that an acute water shortage may occur within a few decades unless urgent action is taken. The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people; it is also conceivable that the control of water by large multinational businesses may become a major source of conflict in this century.[23]
There are more projects within impoverished countries to develop sanitation. "Global Citizen" has spawned some very dedicated Occupy Generation that actually take on these unimaginable needs. There are other organizations that have developed an entire division dedicated to sanitation for the Third World.
One partner is "The Gates Foundation." (click here) The Gates Foundation has also seen others, such as Warren Buffet, provide monies through trusts to enhance the existing foundation monies provided by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is moral organization seeking to piece together a better quality of life in the developing world.
The need for better sanitation in the developing world is clear. Forty percent of the world’s population—2.5 billion people—practice open defecation or lack adequate sanitation facilities, and the consequences can be devastating for human health as well as the environment. Even in urban areas, where household and communal toilets are more prevalent, over 2 billion people use toilets connected to septic tanks that are not safely emptied or use other systems that discharge raw sewage into open drains or surface waters.
Poor sanitation contributes to about 700,000 child deaths from diarrhea each year. Chronic diarrhea can hinder child development by impeding the absorption of essential nutrients and reducing the effectiveness of life-saving vaccines.
Creating sanitation infrastructure and public services that work for everyone and that keep waste out of the environment is a major challenge. The toilets, sewers, and wastewater treatment systems used in the developed world require vast amounts of land, energy, and water, and they are expensive to build, maintain and operate. Existing alternatives that are less expensive are often unappealing because they don’t kill disease-causing pathogens, have impractical designs, or retain odors and attract insects....
31. Greater scarcity of water will lead to an increase in the cost of food and the various products which depend on its use. Some studies warn that an acute water shortage may occur within a few decades unless urgent action is taken. The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people; it is also conceivable that the control of water by large multinational businesses may become a major source of conflict in this century.[23]
There are more projects within impoverished countries to develop sanitation. "Global Citizen" has spawned some very dedicated Occupy Generation that actually take on these unimaginable needs. There are other organizations that have developed an entire division dedicated to sanitation for the Third World.
One partner is "The Gates Foundation." (click here) The Gates Foundation has also seen others, such as Warren Buffet, provide monies through trusts to enhance the existing foundation monies provided by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is moral organization seeking to piece together a better quality of life in the developing world.
The need for better sanitation in the developing world is clear. Forty percent of the world’s population—2.5 billion people—practice open defecation or lack adequate sanitation facilities, and the consequences can be devastating for human health as well as the environment. Even in urban areas, where household and communal toilets are more prevalent, over 2 billion people use toilets connected to septic tanks that are not safely emptied or use other systems that discharge raw sewage into open drains or surface waters.
Poor sanitation contributes to about 700,000 child deaths from diarrhea each year. Chronic diarrhea can hinder child development by impeding the absorption of essential nutrients and reducing the effectiveness of life-saving vaccines.
Creating sanitation infrastructure and public services that work for everyone and that keep waste out of the environment is a major challenge. The toilets, sewers, and wastewater treatment systems used in the developed world require vast amounts of land, energy, and water, and they are expensive to build, maintain and operate. Existing alternatives that are less expensive are often unappealing because they don’t kill disease-causing pathogens, have impractical designs, or retain odors and attract insects....
