It is estimated that over one billion people currently lack access to clean water. Places that are most affected include Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Not only is water essential to life, there is concern that, as with other valuable resources, there could be an increase in conflict as supplies become more limited. In addition, the World Health Organization notes that water related illnesses, caused by unsafe or unsanitary water, kill millions of people every year. Problems related to consumption of contaminated water include diarrhoea, fluorosis, hookworm, and arsenic poisoning.

 

Some people believe that water should be declared a basic human right, guaranteeing people access to a certain amount of water, whether or not they can pay. The United States, among other countries, has refused to make access to water a human right and is therefore not legally bound to ensure everyone has clean drinking water. Many countries, like China, have used large scale engineering projects like dams to bring water to highly populated areas, but some countries do not have the resources to build the infrastructure necessary to provide their populations with water. However, oftentimes water projects such as dams disrupt the environment and can even contribute to the spread of diseases like Malaria.

 

Lack of access to clean water has a variety of causes including overconsumption, pollution, drought, and alteration of the natural environment so that water no longer flows as it used to. These problems will need to be addressed as the World Health Organization says that to meet Millennium Development Goals, an average of 260,000 people per day until 2015 will need to have access to better water. However, the growing world population will put a strain on current water sources, especially if population growth occurs in areas where people are already struggling for access to clean water.