More than two billion people are deprived of access to water and hygiene, according to the World Water Development Report presented by UNESCO and the United Nations Coordination of Action on Water and Sanitation (UN Water).
As noted in the document, in the world, three out of ten people are denied access to safe drinking water, and every ninth practice open defecation. At the same time, almost half of those who drink water from unprotected sources live in sub-Saharan Africa. In these regions, only 24% of the population has access to safe drinking water.
Experts note an increase (more than doubling over the past eight years - up to 263) in the number of conflicts related to water resources.
If the degradation of the natural environment continues at the current pace, experts say, then by 2050 45% of the world's gross domestic product and 40% of world grain production will be under threat. And by 2030 there will be no guarantees of access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation.
A year-old report said roughly the same thing: if the current trend continues, by 2050, almost half of the world's population will not have access to clean water. The problem is aggravated by two main factors: population growth and climate change.
Researchers are now developing a variety of methods for producing clean drinking water - from seawater desalination technologies to filters that purify contaminated fresh water. Recently, a new development in this area was presented by engineers from the University of Washington in St. Louis. They have created a membrane technology that allows water to be purified not only from harmful impurities, but also from dangerous microorganisms (biofouling).