Water Crisis Infographic

Water is essential for all forms of life. Although water does not provide calories or organic nutrients, it plays an important role in our world. It is the center of all life.

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin

Nearly a third of the world's population - 2.6 billion people - live in countries with 'high water scarcity,' according to the World Resources Organization, with 1.7 billion people living in areas with 'serious water shortage' in 17 countries.

While the world's most water-deficient countries are known to be more than a dozen countries in the arid Middle East, the World Resources Institute says India faces significant challenges in the use and management of water resources that will impact everything from people's health to economic development. Furthermore, Pakistan, Eritrea, Turkmenistan and Botswana are countries with serious water shortages.

Key Facts about Global Water Crisis:

• 844 million people, more than one in 10 people on the planet, lack access to basic clean water.

• It is estimated that women and girls spend 200 million hours a day carrying water.

• In rural Africa, women have to walk an average of six kilometers a day to carry 40 pounds of water.

• More than 800 children under five die every day from diarrhea caused by inadequate water and sanitation.

• By 2050, at least a quarter of people are expected to live in a world with chronic or persistent shortages of fresh water.

• 2.3 billion people live without basic sanitation.

• 892 million people practice open defecation.