As with all major disasters, the current global economic crisis hits people living in poverty the hardest - especially regarding water. As economies around the world face severe contraction, local and national governments are drastically cutting budgets for already underfunded building and repairing of water distribution and purification systems, as well as cleanup of polluted aquifers, wetlands, rivers, and other life-sustaining eco-systems. Unfortunately, too often this is concurrent with cuts in spending for healthcare and other social services. The combination can be particularly devastating to populations that are already underserved.
So writes Rick Ulfik, organizer of the “Make Waves for Change” event launching the Global Water Campaign today, in defining the current water crisis.
UN figures indicate that 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. More than 2.5 billion around the world are living without proper sanitation and this further jeopardizes the quality of their water.
