15 Disturbing Global Water Crisis Facts For World Water Day 2021

Despite being a basic necessity for life, millions of people around the world are facing a shortage of safe, clean water. The global water crisis has long been the root of many other issues for those affected by it.

Established by the United Nations (UN) in 1993, World Water Day is held every March 22 to raise awareness of the world water crisis and highlight the importance of safe water.

To mark World Water Day 2021 this Monday, here are 15 global water crisis facts you need to know:

1. The average woman in rural Africa walks 6 kilometers (approximately 3.5 miles) every day to collect and haul 40 pounds of water, according to WorldVision.org.
2. By 2050, at least 1 in 4 people will likely live in a country affected by chronic or recurring fresh-water shortages.
3. A leaky faucet can waste 100 gallons of water a day. About 30% of global water abstraction is lost through leakage, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
4. Think H2O has reported that only 1% of the Earth's water is available for drinking water and 2% is frozen.
5. About 844 million people lack basic drinking water access—more than 1 of every 10 people on the planet.
6. About 80% of global wastewater returns to the environment without being treated or reused.
7. More than 800 children under the age of 5 die each day from diarrhea caused by the lack of clean water and sanitation.
8. By 2040, it is estimated that there will not be enough water in the world to meet the demands of the global population and keep the current energy and power solutions going if the water crisis fails to be addressed.
9. About 4.5 billion people globally already live within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of an “impaired” water resource—one that is running dry or polluted.
10. Of the 4.4 billion people who do not have safely managed sanitation, 2.3 billion do not have access to basic sanitation services, according to UNICEF.
11. Diarrheal diseases, caused primarily by unsafe water and poor sanitation, kill more children under 5 years old than malaria, AIDS and measles combined. Per UNICEF, diarrheal disease kills one child every minute.
12. About a quarter (22%) of health facilities in Least Developed Countries have no access to safe water, per WHO.
13. More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war, former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said in 2010.
14. Each year, there are an estimated 400 million school days lost due to water-related diseases, with 272 million lost to diarrhea alone.
15. Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with feces, according to WHO.