World Water Day: Leave no one Behind

22nd March is observed as World Water Day. The day is observed for introspecting the crisis world is facing due to the scarcity of clean drinking water. When we talk about accessibility to the resource, a lot of people are left behind due to a variety of factors. That’s why the theme of the year 2019’s world water day is “Leaving no one behind”.

The theme closely relates to the idea of sustainable development which aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. By definition, this means leaving no one behind. Today, billions of people don’t have access to water. Sometimes, they are discriminated based on their caste, age, sex, race, class, etc. It is the bitter truth that marginalized groups are the worst affected in the era of water scarcity.

Here are some facts about water scarcity which the whole world is facing right now:

• 2.1 billion people live without safe water at home.
• More than 700 children under five years of age die every day from diarrhea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
• Globally, 80% of the people who have to use unsafe and unprotected water sources live in rural areas.
• Around four billion people — that is, nearly two-thirds of the world’s population — experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
• 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
• For the 68.5 million people who have been forced to flee their homes, accessing safe water services is highly problematic.
• Around 159 million people collect their drinking water from surface water, such as ponds and streams.
• One in four primary schools has no drinking water service, with pupils using unprotected sources or going thirsty.

Source: https://www.worldwaterday.org/theme/

In 2019, marginalized sections had no access to water. They might have access 10-20 years ago but not today. The area swept by the acute water scarcity might reach you sooner than you can fathom. So, get involved and save water before its too late.