Drinking Problems

As concerns grow about possible global water shortages, the United Nations Environment Programme has published a new report on the quantity, quality, and availability of worldwide water supplies. But unlike many scientific studies that are all-but-incomprehensible to the general public, this report uses simple visual images to convey its message. The graphs and photos illustrate problems such as over-consumption and waste of water, declining freshwater supplies, increased pollution, waterborne diseases, and falling water levels in important lakes and seas. Global water use has more than tripled since 1950. One-sixth of the world still has no consistent access to safe drinking water, and 41,000 children die every day from unsafe water, according to the report.