Water and Nonwater-related Challenges of Achieving Global Sanitation Coverage

Abstract

Improved sanitation is considered equally important for public health as is access to improved drinking water. However, the world has been slower to meet the challenge of sanitation provision for the world's poor. We analyze previously cited barriers to sanitation coverage including inadequate investment poor or nonexistent policies, governance, too few resources, gender disparities, and water availability. Analysis includes investigation of correlation between indicators of the mentioned barriers and sanitation coverage, correlations among the indicators themselves, and a geospatial assessment of the potential impacts of sanitation technology on global water resources under six scenarios of sanitation technology choice. The challenges studied were found to be significant barriers to sanitation coverage, but water availability was not a primary obstacle at a global scale. Analysis at a 0.5 degrees grid scale shows, however, that water availability is an important barrier to as many as 46 million people, depending on the sanitation technology selected. The majority of these people are urban dwellers in countries where water quality is already poor and may be further degraded by sewering vast populations. Water quality is especially important because this vulnerable population primarily resides in locations that depend on environmental income associated with fish consumption.

Sustainable Water Technology and Water-energy Nexus

“…This implies that with every year, the competition for a clean, copious supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensiies. The growing lack of access to potable water and sanitation is a major cause of disease and an obstacle to sustainable growth for a large portion of the global population [3,4]. Many developing countries are undergoing rapid industrialization without incorporating appropriate long-term wastewater management systems, and are now facing increasing water pollution issues while still struggling with poor water supply and sanitation concerns [5].…”

Global Stressors on Water Quality and Quantity

“…For example, is a sanitary sewer an appropriate technology in a city that will become waterscarce by 2025? Sewers require on average up to 75 L/capita-day, whereas other sanitation technologies are available that require no water (15). Sewers can also distribute nutrients over a wide spatial scale, whereas other sanitation technologies can consolidate nutrients at the community level.…”

Effects of bleaching wastewater irrigation on soil quality of constructed reed wetlands

“…[1][2][3] In addition to water scarcity, discharge of massive volumes of industrial wastewater has become another important issue that needs to be addressed. [4,5] Thus, it has to be urgent need to assess the environmental safety of industrial wastewater reuse.…”