The

Water

Crisis

Water Scarcity in the World

Water covers most of our planet, yet billions of people still struggle to access safe drinking water. Understanding why starts with a few simple facts.
Girl in Uganda holding a full container of water on her head
icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How much water is there in the World?

Water covers about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, and about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water is found in the oceans.

~ USGS

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How much of the water in the World is drinkable?

Only about 2.5 percent of the world’s water is freshwater that could potentially be used for drinking. Most of that freshwater, however, is locked in glaciers and ice caps or stored underground.

~ USGS

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How much of the water in the World is drinkable right now?

Only 1 percent of all freshwater is easily accessible in rivers, lakes and streams. More than 68 percent is locked in glaciers and ice caps, and about 30 percent is stored underground.

~ USGS

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How many people in the World lack access to safe drinking water?

About 2.1 billion people — 1 in 4 people worldwide — still lack access to safely managed drinking water. This includes 106 million people who drink directly from untreated surface water sources such as rivers and lakes.
~ UNICEF

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How many people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to clean water?

Only about 32 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safely managed drinking water. That means more than two-thirds of the region’s population still lacks this level of safe, reliable water access..

~ UNICEF

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How many people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to clean water?

Only about 32 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safely managed drinking water. That means more than two-thirds of the region’s population still lacks this level of safe, reliable water access.

~ UNICEF

Learn more about the causes of the
water crisis in Africa
and what can be done to solve it.

Water & Health

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does a lack of safe drinking water affect people’s health?

Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene cause more than a million preventable deaths every year and can spread diseases like cholera, diarrhea and typhoid.

~ WHO

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How many children die every day because of drinking unsafe water?

Around 1,000 children under five die every day from diseases linked to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. Most of these deaths are preventable.

~ WHO

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How else does carrying water affect people’s health?

Carrying heavy containers of water over long distances can cause back and neck pain, injuries and fatigue. Women and girls are especially affected because they do most of the water collecting in many communities.

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does providing clean water solve health issues?

If the world did nothing besides just providing access to clean water, without any other medical involvement, we could save as many as 1.4 million lives every year.

~ WHO

The Financial Impact of Water

Photo showing a girl in northern Uganda walking while pushing a bicycle loaded with two full container of water.
icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does dirty water affect people’s living situations?
Without access to safe water, families are forced to spend hours each day collecting it—often from unsafe sources. This limits time for work, school, and income-generating activities, keeping entire communities trapped in poverty.
icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does dirty water affect the economy?
When people are sick or spending hours collecting water, they can’t work or attend school consistently. This reduces productivity, lowers school attendance, and slows economic growth. Clean water is one of the most effective ways to help people move themselves out of poverty.
icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does providing clean water solve economic issues?

Access to clean water is one of the most effective investments a community can make. Every $1 spent on water and sanitation can generate about $4 in economic returns through increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs. When children stay in school and families stay healthy, entire communities move forward.

~ WHO

Water & Gender

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does dirty water affect women and children?

In Africa, more than a quarter of the population spends between 30 minutes  to 6 hours, walking 3.75 miles just to collect enough water for the day.  Women and girls are responsible for collecting water 7 out of 10 times. They often spend hours walking and waiting for water, taking time away from school, work and other activities.

~ UNICEF

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
Does the water crisis have a gender bias?

Yes. Around the world, women and girls are much more likely to be responsible for collecting water. Girls under 15 are nearly twice as likely as boys to fetch water, and women and girls often spend more time doing it, taking time away from school, work and other opportunities.

~ UNICEF

icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How do water and sanitation solutions help women and girls? 

When clean water and safe toilets are available at school and close to home, girls have more time for their education and face fewer health and safety risks. Better access to water and sanitation gives girls more opportunities to stay in school and build a healthier future.

~ UNICEF

female students from the Teso region of Uganda collect water from a local swamp.

Dirty Water & Global Poverty

Photo used on the Drop in the Bucket water facts page that talks about global poverty and the financial aspects of clean water
icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How do water and sanitation solutions affect poverty?
“No other single intervention is more likely to have a significant impact on global poverty than the provision of safe water.” – Schuster-Wallace. C.J., Grover, V.I., Adeel, Z. Confalonieri, U. and Elliot, S. Safe Water as the Key to Global Health. (United Nations University, 2008).
icon showing a blue drop of water used to separate water facts on the Drop in the Bucket website
How does the global water crisis affect the economy?
“The UN estimates it would cost an additional $30 billion to provide access to safe water to the entire planet. That’s a third of what the world spends in a year on bottled water.”

What can I do

To Help Change This?

Clean water changes everything. It keeps kids in school, improves health, and gives communities a chance to move forward. You can help make that happen.
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