Clean water and sanitation

Clean and affordable water is an integral part of life. Now more than 40% of the world's population suffers from water shortages. 673 million people continue to practice open defecation. To this day, millions of people, and especially children, continue to die from diseases related to poor-quality water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

Problems with access to clean water and sanitation lead to a deterioration of the economic and social situation among the population, including hunger, poverty, and lack of educational opportunities. Every year the situation worsens as the population grows and the irrational use of fresh water reserves. If infrastructure and management are not improved, millions of people will continue to die, and biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability will decline even further.

Water is needed to transport nutrients and oxygen to all cells of the body. It helps to convert food into energy and absorb nutrients. Water maintains body temperature stability and protects vital organs, participates in maintaining the shape of cells and organs, and is important for skin health.

Achieving sustainable access to clean water and sanitation requires collaboration at all levels, from the local implementation of more efficient water management technologies and the provision of adequate infrastructure, up to the adoption of international measures. Sanitation (from Latin. sanitas — health) is the practical application of measures developed by hygiene and aimed at improving public health, improving the environment and prolonging human life. It is especially important to raise awareness of water use issues. It is possible to increase the efficiency of water use through the development of innovative technologies in the field of water intake and wastewater disposal, as well as an increase in the share of reused water and the quality of its treatment not only for drinking, but also for technological and agricultural needs. At the same time, the economic accessibility of new technologies for all segments of the population plays an important role.