Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Water access worldwide - statistics & facts
From water scarcity and climate change to pollution and poor infrastructure, global water supplies are under ever increasing pressure. With billions of people around the world lacking access to clean water and sanitation, and the risk of droughts rising at an alarming rate, water security is now one of the biggest issues facing the planet.
There are also considerable gaps in access to basic hygiene services. Eight percent of the global population had no access to basic handwashing facilities at home in 2022. Once again, the largest proportion affected by the lack of these facilities were in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Togo, almost three-quarters of the population did not have access to handwashing facilities, the lowest coverage of this service worldwide. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) aim to increase clean water access and improve sanitation services around the globe.
With rising temperatures and a change in rainfall patterns, other regions that normally do not experience drought conditions are facing them more regularly. For instance, countries in Europe like the UK declared drought emergencies in 2023. Such dry conditions are not only directly affecting the population but are also building up tensions between communities. In 2023, 125 water-related conflicts were reported worldwide, a more than a fivefold increase compared to 2000.
Despite improvements to water access in recent decades, millions of people around the world continue to live without basic sanitation and safe water supplies. With rising temperatures caused by climate change aggravating water scarcity further, urgent strategies at a governmental, individual, and community level will be required to ensure sustainable water management going forward.
The inequality of water access
While access to water and sanitation are basic human rights, water inequality remains a major issue worldwide. Although the number of people without basic drinking water services has declined by 40 percent over the past two decades, there were still roughly 700 million people lacking basic drinking water in 2022. More than half of those affected lived in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the number of people without basic drinking water in this region increased by an estimated 60 million since the beginning of the century. In 2022, more than 15 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa relied on unimproved or surface water sources. In comparison, most drinking water supplies in developed regions like Northern America and Europe are safely managed. Unsafe water sources can exacerbate malnutrition and are one of the leading risk factors for infectious diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and polio.There are also considerable gaps in access to basic hygiene services. Eight percent of the global population had no access to basic handwashing facilities at home in 2022. Once again, the largest proportion affected by the lack of these facilities were in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Togo, almost three-quarters of the population did not have access to handwashing facilities, the lowest coverage of this service worldwide. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) aim to increase clean water access and improve sanitation services around the globe.
Water stress and scarcity
Many countries around the world face water stress, especially in arid regions. The Middle East is home to some of the most water-dependent countries in the world, such as Kuwait and Bahrain, whose lack of water resources has resulted in a reliance on desalination plants. While desalination can help substitute the lack of freshwater, the process is incredibly energy-intensive and often environmentally problematic.With rising temperatures and a change in rainfall patterns, other regions that normally do not experience drought conditions are facing them more regularly. For instance, countries in Europe like the UK declared drought emergencies in 2023. Such dry conditions are not only directly affecting the population but are also building up tensions between communities. In 2023, 125 water-related conflicts were reported worldwide, a more than a fivefold increase compared to 2000.
Despite improvements to water access in recent decades, millions of people around the world continue to live without basic sanitation and safe water supplies. With rising temperatures caused by climate change aggravating water scarcity further, urgent strategies at a governmental, individual, and community level will be required to ensure sustainable water management going forward.
