Access to clean water
The importance of access to clean water
Universal access to safe drinking water is a human right. Without access, children are at higher risk of water-borne illnesses and death.
Providing safe water in homes, schools, and healthcare facilities, whether for drinking or other uses such as washing hands, directly promotes good health.
The United Nations recognises clean water and sanitation as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG Goal 6), expecting to reach universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 (SDG 6.1.1).
How many people don’t have access to clean water?
In 2022, 2.2 billion people worldwide lacked access to safely managed drinking water services, including:
- 292 million people with limited services, or an improved water source requiring more than 30 minutes to collect water.
- 296 million people relying on unprotected wells and springs.
- 115 million people collecting untreated surface water from lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
This meant that 1 in 4 people lacked access to drinking water. Roughly half of the world’s population experienced severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, while one quarter faced ‘extremely high’ levels of water stress.
In 2023 it was reported that:
- 293 million children attending school either had no access to water or had to rely on unsafe sources at their school premises
- 9% of health care facilities around the world, representing 743 million people, had no water service
Countries with limited clean water access
UNICEF undertook an analysis of where areas of physical water scarcity overlap with areas where people are also experiencing poor water services or have no access to water services at all, likely affected by climate change, population growth, conflict and/or poor management.
Analysing the data in terms of the proportion of children affected, highlighted a number of countries where over 70% of children experience high or extremely high water vulnerability:
- Afghanistan (93%)
- Lesotho (93%)
- Kenya (92%)
- Burkina Faso (91%)
- Niger (86%)
- Ethiopia (85%)
- Eritrea (79%)
- Micronesia, Federated States of (74%)
- Zimbabwe (73%)
- Mozambique (72%)
The effects of limited access to clean water
Access to safe water is key for children’s survival. Lack of it severely compromises their overall development, including health, nutrition, education and livelihoods, with girls being more impacted.
Lack of access to clean drinking water increases the spread of diseases such as:
- Cholera
- Dysentery
- Typhoid
- Polio
Waterborne infections can also cause diarrhoea, one of the leading killers of children globally.
Without access to clean water, healthcare professionals cannot maintain hygienic environments or provide quality care to patients.
Ingestion of faecal bacteria can cause repeated diarrhoea and intestinal worm infections in children.
This prevents children from absorbing the nutrients they need to grow, leading to stunting and potentially triggering irreversible impacts on their physical and mental development.
When water sources dry up at home, children may be forced to drop out of school to collect water from distant sources.
The lack of access to water in schools hinders enrolment, attendance, and participation, especially for girls.
As children grow into adulthood, water-scarce areas will pose more challenges for their economic opportunities, potentially forcing them to leave their homes.
Water scarcity and youth unemployment are among the root causes of migration.
Girls are disproportionately affected by the lack of water. At home, the task of collecting water often falls on them, placing them in danger when they have to walk long distances to water sources.
Girls’ school attendance is also affected by menstruation, as they are less likely to attend school if it lacks sufficient water and sanitation facilities to help them manage their periods.
The benefits of access to clean water for communities
Health Benefits:
- Reduces the risk of water-related diseases, lowering medical treatment needs and costs, especially for children whom are more vulnerable.
- Better health helps secure children’s nutritional gains and leads to better school attendance, laying the foundation for a healthier future.
Social Benefits:
- Women and girls, who often collect water, can use this time for other activities, including attending school.
- Increases personal safety by reducing the exposure women and girls face when travelling far and through risky environments to collect water.
Economic Benefits:
- Fewer illnesses lead to a healthier, more productive workforce with lower absenteeism and staff turnover.
- Women and girls can use the time saved from not collecting water for school or income-generating activities, boosting economic stability and growth.
Our response
UNICEF’s roadmap to contribute to SDG 6.1.1 is the Water Game Plan: Universal Safe and Sustainable Water Services for All by 2030. This plan outlines how UNICEF and partners, such as non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, governments and communities, are working together to meet our goal of providing water services for all by 2030.
Access
- We support countries that move towards safe, sustainable water services that can withstand climate change, conflict, and natural disasters.
- With the support of partners, we improve water access in households, health-care facilities, and schools, while identifying those left behind.
Safety
- We invest in water treatment technologies throughout the supply chain, including households, to ensure safe storage and chemical removal, reducing contamination risks.
- We promote water safety plans to help countries identify quality threats and support governments in developing water data and surveillance systems.
Sustainability
- We support communities to set service standards and tariffs to ensure accountability and transparency.
- Working with governments, we support policy making, financial planning, capacity-building, regulatory frameworks and sector-wide sustainability checks.
You can support us by donating now to help more children and communities gain access to clean water.
Learn more about why safe water and sanitation matters.
