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Clean water is not only an essential, but it is also a fundamental right

Three-quarters of the world is water. The abundance of this substance makes it a prerequisite for the existence of almost all forms of being. We humans could not exist and thrive without it. Seventy percent of our bodies consist of water. But although it seems that water is not limited, only a percent of two of the world’s water is available for our daily survival. This parcel comes from freshwater systems. For a lot of us, clean water is just one twist or pull of our faucets, readily drinkable or usable for their health-related activities. That is only one side of the story. On many portions of the globe, people have no access to clean and safe waterThe World Health Organization (WHO) stated that 2.1 billion people have no safe water in their homes. Reports in 2015 show that more than 600 million people drink water from dangerous sources. These are not only meaningless figures but a depiction of disparity, as the majority of the affected are those who live in underdeveloped countries.  More than half of the people who suffer from this problem come from Sub-Saharan Africa, an impoverished nation. Within the states, 8 in 10 of the deprived reside in rural areas. This reality poses serious questions: how important is clean water? Why does everyone deserve to have access to services for clean water?

We need to consume water to sustain our bodily needs. In other words, having not just water but clean water is a vital aspect of human health. It provides nourishment for our physiological systems to function correctly. The body needs enough hydration to support the transport of nutrients in the blood. In contrast, being exposed to contaminated water gives rise to deadly medical conditions such as cholera and hepatitis. You should also learn about alkaline hydrogen water benefits too.

Proper sanitation also requires access to clean water. We need it for the safe disposal of our excretions, bathing and washing utensils, and daily garments to prevent infections that disrupt our health. Due to the lack of sanitation, over 800 children below five years of age die each day from diarrhea-related diseases. This problem also results in the stunted growth of young kids in many countries

Clean water is an integral part of agriculture and food production. Polluted water can destroy the structure and growth of crops. Toxic substances in waterways and irrigation can diminish agricultural yield. This would entail grave impacts on the livelihood of people dependent on farming. On a larger scale, it can affect the food source of an entire community.To learn more about water filtration, visit USA Berkey Filters.

Clean water is indeed necessary to sustain healthy and livable conditions for us humans. But we do not just obtain it directly from natural water sources. Stored water in dams and reservoirs undergoes treatment and filtration with the use of water purification facilities. After this, the distributor pumps the treated water to households. Business outfits capitalize on this process. They “sell” clean water to consumers.  In most countries, especially those with exploited economies, there is an increasing cost of water due to the privatization and commodification of water utilities and services.

The United Nations (UN) Declaration of Human Rights recognizes access to “sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water” as a fundamental human right. It also puts the obligation to governments to ensure that all its citizens acquire this necessity for free. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets to attain universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. This SDG includes achieving adequate sanitation and hygiene. Institutions have worked in consolidated efforts to realize the said goals. Civil society organizations have put forward the demands of the people, especially the poorest sectors, to obtain free access.

It is no more a question that clean water, along with proper sanitation, is a state responsibility and is the right of every citizen. But capitalists have propagated that it is reasonable to “buy” clean water, even if it must instead be given free. Billions still experience not a mere shortage but, worse, absence of clean and safe water. This reality must make governments take their responsibilities to provide free access to everyone. Along with this demand, we must also work together to challenge the existing structure that has brought such inequality.

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