Two billion people don’t have safe drinking water: what does this really mean for them? – Our World in Data

Access to Safe Drinking Water: Global Realities and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human need and a critical component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. While nearly six billion people worldwide enjoy safe drinking water at home, approximately two billion people still lack this basic necessity. This report examines what lacking safe drinking water means in practical terms, highlighting the human impact and emphasizing the importance of achieving universal access as outlined in the SDGs.

Defining Safe Drinking Water Access

Safe drinking water is defined by three key criteria:

1. Free from contamination
2. Located on the premises (at home)
3. Available whenever needed

Currently, about 5.82 billion people (73% of the global population) meet these criteria. However, two billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, which poses significant health and social challenges.

Categories of Drinking Water Access

Based on data from WHO and UNICEF, drinking water access is categorized as follows:

• Safe Source: Water that is contamination-free, available at home, and always accessible.
• Basic Source: Water accessed within a 30-minute round trip, likely safe but not always guaranteed.
• Limited Source: Water accessed beyond a 30-minute round trip, with potential safety concerns.
• Unimproved Source: Water from unprotected wells or springs, at risk of contamination.
• Surface Water: Water from rivers, lakes, or ponds, often unsafe.

Global Distribution of Water Access

• 1.4% of the global population (about 156 million people) rely on surface water sources.
• Approximately 5% rely on unimproved sources, including unprotected wells and springs.
• The majority of those without safe water have access to piped or protected sources that are either off-premises or intermittently available.

Human Impact: Case Studies by Water Access Category

Unimproved and Surface Water Users (7% of those without safe water)

Example: J and D’s family in Burundi live in extreme poverty, earning about $41 per month each. They spend 14 hours weekly collecting water from a nearby stream, which is likely contaminated with chemicals, bacteria, and parasites. This exposes them to diarrheal and bacterial diseases, exacerbated by malnutrition and limited healthcare access. Additionally, they spend 21 hours weekly collecting firewood, resulting in a significant time burden that limits opportunities for education and income generation.

Unprotected Well Users (14% of those without safe water)

Example: B’s family in Burkina Faso earns approximately $53 per month and collects water from an unprotected well two hours away, spending 40 hours weekly on water and firewood collection. The water is unsafe, posing health risks similar to those faced by surface water users. Another family in Kenya collects water 30 minutes away from an unimproved source.

Improved Source Users with Limited Access (13% of those without safe water)

Example: T’s family in Haiti collects safe water from public piped systems but spends 70 hours weekly fetching it, equivalent to two full-time jobs. Similarly, a family in the Philippines spends 7 hours weekly collecting safe water, with each trip taking about 60 minutes. While the water is likely safe at the source, the time investment is substantial, impacting education and economic activities.

Improved Source Users with Basic Access (66% of those without safe water)

Example: Families in India and Ghana access improved water sources within 10 to 20 minutes from home. Although this saves time compared to those with limited access, water is not always available on premises or guaranteed contamination-free, highlighting ongoing challenges in achieving SDG 6 targets.

Safe Drinking Water at Home

Many families worldwide, including those in Togo, the Philippines, and South Africa, have safe drinking water available at home. This access reduces the risk of waterborne diseases and frees time for other productive activities, aligning with SDG 6 and contributing to improved health and well-being (SDG 3).

Challenges and Progress Toward SDG 6

Income and Location Factors

Income is a strong predictor of access to safe water, but geographic location and infrastructure availability also play crucial roles. Remote areas often lack piped networks and accessible wells, making safe water collection difficult even for moderate-income families.

Improved Water Sources vs. Safe Drinking Water

Before 2017, progress was measured by access to “improved water sources,” which are protected but do not guarantee safety at the point of consumption. Contamination risks increase during transportation and storage, underscoring the need for comprehensive water safety management.

Recent Improvements

Countries like Ethiopia have significantly increased access to improved water sources, tripling coverage from 26% in 2000 to 80% today. However, expanding infrastructure to ensure contamination-free water at home remains a major challenge, especially in rural areas.

Health and Social Implications

Health Risks

• Unsafe water contributes to over 800,000 deaths annually, primarily from diarrheal diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
• Waterborne diseases also include polio and hepatitis, with malnutrition linked to unsafe water contributing to half of all childhood deaths.
• These health burdens disproportionately affect low-income countries, where unsafe water accounts for more than 5% of all deaths in some regions.

Time Burden

• Collecting water can consume up to 70 hours per week, often falling on women and children.
• This time commitment limits opportunities for education, employment, and leisure, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality (SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 5: Gender Equality).

Personal Stories

Haja, a mother from Sierra Leone, lost three children to diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. Her experience highlights the devastating human cost of inadequate water access and the urgent need to fulfill SDG 6 targets.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Access to safe drinking water is essential for health, economic development, and social equity. Achieving SDG 6 requires:

• Expanding piped water infrastructure to reach every household.
• Ensuring water sources are free from contamination at the point of use.
• Reducing the time burden of water collection, particularly for women and children.
• Integrating water access improvements with broader poverty alleviation and health initiatives.

Continued global commitment and investment are critical to ensuring that the two billion people without safe drinking water can enjoy this basic human right, thereby advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

Acknowledgments

This report draws extensively on the Dollar Street project by Gapminder and Anna Rosling Rönnlund, which provides valuable insights into daily life across diverse global communities. Gratitude is also extended to contributors who provided feedback and support.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The article focuses extensively on access to safe drinking water, highlighting that two billion people lack it, which directly relates to SDG 6’s aim to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article discusses the health impacts of unsafe water, including the spread of diarrheal diseases and over 800,000 deaths annually, linking to SDG 3’s goal to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.
3. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article describes families living in extreme poverty who lack safe water access, showing the intersection between poverty and water access.
4. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The time burden of collecting water, often borne by women and children, relates to SDG 5’s focus on reducing unpaid care and domestic work and empowering women.

2. Specific Targets Under the Identified SDGs

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • Target 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services (water on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination).
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.3: End epidemics of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and other diarrheal diseases.
   • Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, linked to malnutrition and unsafe water.
3. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.2: Reduce poverty in all its dimensions, including access to basic services like safe drinking water.
4. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work, including the burden of water collection on women and girls.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

1. Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services.
   • The article explicitly discusses the criteria for “safe drinking water”: water that is free from contamination, located on premises, and available when needed.
   • The “safe drinking water ladder” categories (safe source, basic source, limited source, unimproved source, surface water) correspond to levels of service used to measure this indicator.
2. Indicator on Time Spent Collecting Water:
   • The article highlights the time burden of water collection (e.g., 14 to 70 hours per week), which is an important implied indicator related to accessibility and availability of water services.
3. Health Indicators Related to Waterborne Diseases and Mortality:
   • Number of deaths caused by unsafe water and waterborne diseases (over 800,000 annually) is mentioned, linking to health-related SDG indicators.
   • Incidence and prevalence of diarrheal diseases and malnutrition-related child mortality are implied indicators connected to water safety.
4. Indicator on Access to Improved Water Sources:
   • The article references the previous focus on “improved water sources” (protected pipes, springs, boreholes) as a proxy indicator before 2017, which is still relevant for tracking progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Relevant to the Article

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.1: Universal access to safe and affordable drinking water 6.1.1: Safely managed drinking water services	Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services (water on premises, available when needed, contamination-free) Time spent collecting water (implied) Access levels by water source category (safe, basic, limited, unimproved, surface water)
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.3: End epidemics of waterborne diseases 3.2: End preventable child deaths linked to malnutrition and unsafe water	Number of deaths from unsafe water and diarrheal diseases Incidence of diarrheal diseases and related malnutrition (implied)
SDG 1: No Poverty	1.2: Reduce poverty including access to basic services	Proportion of population living in extreme poverty without safe water access (implied)
SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work	Time burden of water collection on women and children (implied)

Source: ourworldindata.org