Water and Sanitation: A Global Environmental Issue

This article discusses the global issue of water scarcity and lack of safe water and sanitation. It explores the prevalence, impact, and determinants of the problem, focusing on both the global and local context. The article also examines the current and future implications on human health, including the risks and outcomes associated with water scarcity. Additionally, it discusses the affected populations and regions, as well as the causes and risk factors associated with the issue.

Running head: Water and sanitation 1
Water and sanitation
1- Introduce key environmental issue/s you are focusing on:
 Global or local context of the problem (water scarcity/ lack of safe or sanitized
water)
Water connects every aspect of our lives. Access to clean water and sanitation has the ability
to turn problems into potential by empowering people as well as contributing to improved
health for everyone around the world. Scarcity of safe water and sanitation on the other hand
poses health risks to the affected communities. Unsafe water and sanitation do not only affect
the health, safety and quality of life but also claim lives of several people worldwide.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) (2017), 4.0% of all deaths and 5.7% of
disabilities globally are as a result of lack of clean water and sanitation. Although 87% of the
world’s population have access to adequate improved water and sanitation, 39% still lack
access to adequate improved water and sanitation, and 2.1 billion individuals need safe
drinking water at home and more than twice the same number of need safe sanitation like
toilets and sewer systems (WHO, 2017). Australia is also prone to water scarcity due to
droughts as it experiences major shifts in whether patters. However, despite the varying
levels of climate influences, no deaths have been reported yet.
 Prevalence and incidence data (in Australia)
Throughout history, scarcity of safe and sanitized water has adversely affected Australia.
Water resources in Australia are highly variable and reflects the range of climatic conditions
and terrain nationally. According to Business Council of Australia (n.d) the current water
scarcity prevalence data in Australia is 28.5% and the incidence data is an average of four
times as much for electricity as for household water. Scarcity of water in Australia is a
common occurrence since there are changing rainfall conditions. Kirk et al. (2011) argues

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that the annual incidence of waterborne outbreak in Australia is 1.9 per 1000 health facilities
with salmonella causing 17 outbreaks. According to Dale, Kirk, Sinclair, Hall, & Leder
(2010), 19% of waterborne disease outbreaks is suspected to be as a result of dirty drinking
water while 0.83% are confirmed to be waterborne diseases. Water scarcity in Australia is
likely to recur in the population if water security measures are not implemented.
 Who is affected by the problem?
Water scarcity affects everybody in the society from women to children more so in Southern
Australia. It also affects businesses and agricultural productivity (Gunasekara, Kazama,
Yamazaki, & Oki, 2014). The affected areas include Western Victoria, Pilbara and
Queensland as the rainfall in these areas is usually shorter than six months (Bureau of
Metrology, 2019).
 Are there any positives associated with the issue?
Water scarcity does not positively impact the society. People depend on water to sustain their
lives. This is because water is involved in every bodily function of human beings as well as
farming. Scarcity of water therefore only impacts the society negatively. However, water
scarcity can make people within a given community to come up with better ways to preserve
water.
 What is the cause of the problem?
One of the causes of scarcity of water is pollution. Water is contaminated when
industrialwastes are dumped in water bodies making it unfit for utilization.The spillage of oil
and faecal matter also makes water contaminated hence scarcity (Mekonnen, & Hoekstra,
2016).

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Overuse of water is also another cause of water scarcity (Martin-Carrasco, Garrote, Iglesias,
&Mediero, 2013). Some people use too much water especially for agriculture without
thinking of the world around them. This in turns leads to water inadequacy.
In most places, there are low water recycling techniques which may lead to water scarcity
(Mekonnen, & Hoekstra, 2016). Low water recycling procedures may lead to water scarcity
in case of delayed rainfall.
Additionally, drought can also lead to scarcity of water (Martin-Carrasco et al., 2013). When
people in a given area do not receive enough rainfall, then it may lead to drought.
 Outcome/Severity
Scarcity of waterincludes water stress, shortage and crisis. Lack of access to water leads to
hunger. It takes a lot of water to grow food and care for the animals, if there is no water that
can be used for such purposes, then the farm animals will die while the crops will have lower
yields. According to Mekonnen and Hoekstra (2016), only 10% of water is used for domestic
purposes while agriculture consumes about 70%. Scarcity of water will therefore lead to
constant hunger, thirst and low quality of life.
Scarcity of clean and sanitized water will also lead to diseases. Those who are forced to drink
low quality water risks contacting water-borne diseases which may lead to death. Since less
water means constant sewage, mosquitoes and other insects breed on the water hence malaria
and other infections (Hertel, & Liu, 2019). Additionally, scarcity of water’s outcome is
poverty. Access to clean and sanitized water is critical to economic success and better
standards of living. Individuals managing water shortage issues are frequently stuck in
destitution as they are unfit to gain the resources, they need in order to prosper (Hertel, &
Liu, 2019).

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 Why did this happen? discuss determinants /risk factors associated with the issue
Scarcity of water is as a result of poor water management which may lead to overuse or
misuse. In most instances, there are little efforts to expand the major water infrastructures,
thus as the population increases, demand for water also increases leading to scarcity.
Water scarcity is also as a result of climate change. This is because it may increase
temperature and shift in precipitation patterns hence an increase in the frequency of drought.
One of the risk factors associated with scarcity of water is variance due to increased
competition for the little available (Gunasekara, et al., 2014). As competition grows for the
diminishing water resources, the affected population is likely to engage in dispute due to
unavailability of enough water. Water scarcity also risks death of the population affected
(Gain, & Giupponi, 2015). Events of water scarcity may lead to increased mortality and
morbidity rates.
2- Explain current and future implications on human health:
Scarcity of water is an obstacle to public health and development. According to Tarrass and
Benjelloun (2012), currently, the global health associated with scarcity of water is staggering
with an estimated 1.6million death every year. People experiencing scarcity of water are
likely to contact diseases and infections like malaria, diarrhoea, trachoma, plague and typhus
which may in turn lead to death. Water scarcity in Australia is also likely to cause skin
disorders like trachoma which may potentially blind the eyes as well as scabies. This is due to
unhygienic conditions like poor rubbish disposal sites, using dirty water and failing to
observe basic body hygiene. Additionally, water scarcity may also prompt the affected
population to consume water with high concentration of arsenic and selenium which can also
lead to chemical contamination that naturally occur in ground water (Hertel, & Liu, 2019).

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For instance, arsenicosis and fluorosis which may in turn result into dental fluorosis,
deficiencies and poisoning.
References
Bureau of Metrology (2019). Australian Government, retrieved from
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/
Business Council of Australia (n.d). retrieved on 7th April 2019 from https://www.water-
under-pressure_summary-leaflet_18-9-2006.pdf
Dale, K., Kirk, M., Sinclair, M., Hall, R., & Leder, K. (2010). Reported waterborne outbreaks
of gastrointestinal disease in Australia are predominantly associated with recreational
exposure. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 34(5), 527-530.
Gain, A. K., &Giupponi, C. (2015). A dynamic assessment of water scarcity risk in the
Lower Brahmaputra River Basin: An integrated approach. Ecological Indicators, 48,
120-131.

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Gunasekara, N. K., Kazama, S., Yamazaki, D., & Oki, T. (2014). Water conflict risk due to
water resource availability and unequal distribution. Water resources
management, 28(1), 169-184.
Hertel, T., & Liu, J. (2019). Implications of water scarcity for economic growth.
In Economy-Wide Modeling of Water at Regional and Global Scales (pp. 11-35).
Springer, Singapore.
Kirk, M. D., Lalor, K., Raupach, J., Combs, B., Stafford, R., Hall, G. V., & Becker, N.
(2011). Food-and waterborne disease outbreaks in Australian long-term care facilities,
2001–2008. Foodborne pathogens and disease, 8(1), 133-139.
Martin-Carrasco, F., Garrote, L., Iglesias, A., &Mediero, L. (2013). Diagnosing causes of
water scarcity in complex water resources systems and identifying risk management
actions. Water resources management, 27(6), 1693-1705.
Mekonnen, M. M., & Hoekstra, A. Y. (2016). Four billion people facing severe water
scarcity. Science advances, 2(2), e1500323.
World Health Organization. (2017), Health and sustainable development: Unsafe drinking-
water, sanitation and waste management. Retrieved on 4th April 2019 from
https://www.who.int/sustainable-development/cities/health-risks/water-sanitation/en/
Tarrass, F., &Benjelloun, M. (2012). The effects of water shortages on health and human
development. Perspectives in public health, 132(5), 240-244.