Seventy
percent of the surface is covered by water, almost all salty and therefore not
proper for human consumption. Only 2.5% of that is potable and most reserves
(about 80%) is concentrated in glaciers in the polar caps.
According
to the United Nations (UN), 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking
water and about 1.6 million people die worldwide every year due to health
problems resulting from the lack of this feature.
The
scarcity of the resource also endangers food production. According to the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 70% of surface water
and groundwater is used for agriculture. In 2003, the UN declared the
International Year of Freshwater to raise awareness about its importance and
the need to use it appropriately.
In the Northeast of Brazil, a project was developed to help communities to treat their waste (which was causing health problems to the people) and turning that into water for agriculture. The following youtube link shows the benefits of the project.
Simple solutions can make a difference to the lives of the population that is in need. Good quality food can be made from the irrigation process that was developed. The correct treatment of greywater can lead to a huge benefit to the health of the people and to the environment.
