Susan Davis

by Susan Davis, Executive Director, Improve International

In an earlier blog I wrote about the confusion on how we should estimate how many people lack access to water.  A recent article by the UNC Water Institute (full disclosure: I could only read the abstract without paying for the article) suggests some rather shitty numbers:

We estimate that in 2010, 40% of the global population (2.8 billion people) used improved sanitation, as opposed to the estimate of 62% (4.3 billion people) from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), and that 4.1 billion people lacked access to an improved sanitation facility.

The abstract also shares this sunny yet horrifying cartoon that shows the direct line from untreated sewerage (poop) to people’s drinking water:

So, this is yet another reason to rethink how we frame the global development goals.  You, yes you, can vote on the changes that would make the most difference to you in the world. If you think of this graphic and remember that in a way we are all drinking the same water, you might want to include “access to water & sanitation” in your priorities.