The Facts

• Global water: 97% seawater, 3% freshwater. Of the freshwater 87% not accessible, 13% accessible (0.4% of total).
• Today more than 2 billion people are affected by water shortages in over 40 countries.
• 263 river basins are shared by two or more nations;
• 2 million tonnes per day of human waste are deposited in water courses
• Half the population of the developing world are exposed to polluted sources of water that increase disease incidence.
• 90% of natural disasters in the 1990s were water related.
• The increase in numbers of people from 6 billion to 9 billion will be the main driver of water resources management for the next 50 years.
  

Urgency for action. The world’s freshwater resources are under increasing pressure.
Water is vital for human survival, health and dignity and a fundamental resource for human development. The world’s freshwater resources are under increasing pressure.

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