Sustainability and Environmental Systems: Issues and Solutions for Clean Water and Sanitation | Desklib

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
Sustainability and Environmental Systems
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SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS1
Introduction
The concept of sustainable development is also referred as global goals that aims at
the development and the removal of the issues that arise at the global level. The main aim of
the study is to provide an environment of sustenance for the flourishing of life. The prosperity
of the nation is the concept that holds the focus of development. To ensure that the population
across the globe receives clean water and sanitation facilities is one of the key responsibility
of the sustainable development growth. The scarcity of water is the main issue that is faced
by the population of the world and the issue is increased at a rapid rate. The main contributors
to this problems are often imposed on global changes in climate but the human activities are
the major reason that lead to an increase in these problems. However the major share of
population has gained access to clean water and sanitation but the disparities in the
availability of potable water and sanitation facilities are the major issues that are experienced
by the population across the globe. In the process of modernization people are on the verge of
depleting the fresh water resources that are available. The increase in the rate of famines that
are experienced all across the globe shows the pace at which the fresh water resources are
depleting across the world. It has been brought into notice that if the pace at which water is
utilized there will be shortage of water all across the world by the year 2050 (Campbell et al.
2015). The inadequacy in the infrastructures for sanitation has increased the problem. The
unhygienic conditions increase the risks in the sphere of health. There are 2.3 billion people
in the world who do not have access to proper sanitation facilities. This increases the risks
that are faced by the population across the globe. It is often indicated by the studies that
poverty plays a major role in the increase of the issues (Cairncross and Feachem 2018). It has
been analysed that due to the lack of proper sanitation facilities there has been an increase in

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health issues. A number of diseases arise due to the lack of sanitation facilities that lead to an
increase in the mortality rate among the population.
Effect of human actions on clean water and sanitation
With the number of people increasing across the globe the issues of clean water and
sanitation are also increasing. According to the World Health Organization more than 600
million people are experiencing issues related to sanitation and clean water. The living
conditions are constantly degraded due the increase in the number of people. There are been
movements that have been initiated to solve the problem of proper sanitation facilities. The
increase in the population of the urban area poses a challenge to the sanitation facilities. The
rate at which sanitation programs are initiated in the developing areas is lesser than the rate of
growth. The over population and the overcrowding of the urban areas and the lack of
knowledge that people have to about the sustainability of the resources have increased the
problem a lot more. The illegal accommodation of people and encroachment of areas that
held the sources of water that served the purpose of the local population led to the
aggravation of the problems (Kiani Masimo Corp 2016). The governments of the areas do not
provide permission to the people living in the areas and that makes it difficult for them to
construct proper structures for their housing and sanitation facilities that lead to the lack of
disposing facilities which increases the waste accumulation and has adverse effects on the
environment. The adverse effects lead to the pollution of the water resources and lead to
scarcity of water resources. The slums that have been have been constructed in many areas
are the main contributor to the problem of the clean water and sanitation. The lack of
disposing facilities has led to many diseases that has lowered the health rate. Diseases like
diarrhea and cholera are constantly increasing due to the improper management of resources.

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The areas where the people have limited access to water facilities has led to the emergence of
these diseases.
In the urban areas, the poorly constructed houses and the inadequate facilities of
disposal has led to the lack of potable water and proper facilities to relieve themselves. The
construction of proper sanitation facilities in the houses that are located in narrow and
congested streets increases the problem as it becomes difficult to construct the chambers and
connect them to the sewers that are necessary for the disposal of human wastes. In the rural
areas people are unable and unaware about the factors that are necessary to maintain proper
hygiene at personal level. There are populations in many areas that are economically weak
and cannot afford to build proper toilets for themselves. The houses in certain areas lack the
facilities of garbage collection that leads to the disposal of wastes in the water bodies that
lead to contamination of the water bodies. In the western countries, it was reported that due to
the lack of public toilets and latrines at home people adopted the practice of wrap and throw
in the open surroundings. The accumulation of wastes in the surrounding areas lead the
contamination of water bodies as people resort to use the water bodies to dispose the wastes.
These activities have led to environmental complications and that has directly affected the
balance in nature. The dumping of wastes in water bodies has led to the contamination of the
food that was sourced from the sea and the diseases due to consumption of the contaminated
food items also increased.
Conditions around the world
The access to clean and potable water and proper management of sources is
necessary in creating sustainable conditions in the world for the survival and flourishing of
life. Around 40% of the global population lacks the access to clean water resources. The lack
of fresh water resources has an adverse effect on the food resources. The share occupied by