Lack of accessing to clean and safe water has now turned into a global problem. In fact, we are already in a water crisis stage, where 1 in 3 people globally lack access to safe water. That is according to a UNICEF report. Here in Australia, we are not an exception since some parts of this country are already struggling with access to safe water.
Many consequences come with a lack of clean and safe water. First, we get exposed to serious health problems that cause diseases and death. According to water.org, nearly 1 million people die from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related diseases. That is how serious a lack of access to clean and safe water is.
What Is Safe Water?
There is a lot of misconception when defining the term ‘safe water.’ The fact that the water looks clean does not make it safe drinking and other human use. According to WHO, safe water is ‘water that does not represent any health risk over a lifetime of consumption.’ So this potable water must be tested and found to be safe for drinking.
The Importance Of Access To Safe Water
There are many reasons why access to safe water is crucial for not only human beings but everything that depends on the water. That includes sea animals, which are the most affected by the heavy pollution of the sea and ocean waters. Here are some of the reasons why access to safe water is important.
Improves Health By Preventing Diseases
The first and most important benefit of accessing safe water is to prevent diseases. If we had access to safe water globally, we could be saving more than 1 million lives we are losing as a result of using contaminated water. Some of the diseases that occur as a result of the consumption of contaminated water include typhoid, hepatitis A and cholera. Children are the most affected and contribute to the largest number of fatalities. Most of the contaminants come from sewerage and industrials wastes. So clean water is essential not only to prevent diseases but also to maintain good health.
Improving Nourishment
When saying ‘water is life,’ probably most people do not understand the meaning. Water is everything to humans and flora and fauna. Our bodies are about 60%, and that makes water an essential part of our nutrition. We need an adequate amount of water for our body organs to function correctly. So, if you don’t have access to enough and safe amount of water, then you will definitely have a nourishment problem. In addition, it is water that maintains your circulation. So, when you are dehydrated, there is less oxygen and nutrients supplied to every cell of the body.
Improved Sanitation
Apart from drinking, clean and safe water is also essential for sanitation. You need safe water for cleaning clothes and washing dishes. We also need clean water for shower and cooking. That is because you can contract waterborne diseases if contaminated water comes into contact with your skin. Therefore, safe water is crucial for improving sanitation.
Helps To flush Out Toxins
Our bodies take a lot of toxins from the food we eat to the by-products of our body cells. These toxins should be flushed out of the body to keep it healthy. However, the flushing of toxins relies on how well the body is hydrated. You need to have the body well hydrated for the circulation to be effective to flush toxins out. When one lacks access to safe water they become dehydrated, then they end accumulating more toxins. That is the relationship between removal of toxins and safe water.
Food security
Access to safe water and food security goes hand in hand. Where there is enough clean and safe water, there is also enough water for farming. Note that you cannot do farming with contaminated water because the plant will bring the contaminants to your table. So, for the food security to be realised, we must have access to safe and clean water. That is one of the best ways on how we can promote food production to feed a larger population.
Reducing Poverty
Most of the areas that lack access to clean water also happen to be poor in most cases. There are many ways that access to safe water can help break the cycle of poverty. First, it will reduce diseases hence helping people save money that they could have used to pay hospital bills and medicine. Access to clean water also helps boost farming in poor areas. In addition, healthy people produce more. That’s how the poverty cycle can be broken.
Access to safe water is crucial for human survival. Lack of safe water exposes us to diseases and premature death. That is why we must ensure that we are putting in measures to ensure that more people are getting access to clean and safe water.