topic: access to water and sanitation -...

Mini-Simulation

Topic: Access to Water and Sanitation

Introduction What are freshwater resources?

Fresh water is naturally occurring water that can be found throughout the world. Some types

of freshwater resources are ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. There are also freshwater

resources under the ground, such as aquifers. Most freshwater comes from precipitation: rain

and snow. Freshwater does not have salt, so oceans are not an example of freshwater.

Freshwater is a renewable, but limited natural resource. Freshwater is renewed through the

process of the water cycle. During the water cycle, water from seas, lakes, and rivers

evaporates and forms clouds. Then, it returns to water sources through rain or snow. This

works well if humans do not use more water than what nature can replace. Today, there are

more than 6,000,000,000 people in the world. Plus, many people use more water than is

necessary. Together, this huge population and over usage is causing a shortage of freshwater

and leading to a water crisis.

How bad is the problem?

Despite all the water in the world, only a small amount of freshwater is available for direct use.

The salt water found in oceans makes up 97 % of the water on Earth, and only 3% of water in

the world is freshwater. Most of this freshwater is found in glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost or

deep underground. These sources are hard for people to access.

The small amount of freshwater that is readily available for people is called surface freshwater.

It is not found in equal parts throughout the world. The Americas have the largest amount of

freshwater, and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands) has the smallest

amount. Oceania, though, has a small population, so there is a greater per capita supply of

freshwater. This means that each person living there has an adequate supply of water. Asia

has the lowest per capita supply of water, so many people living there do not have enough

water. Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Indonesia, and Russia together have half the world’s

supply of freshwater. Northern Africa and the Middle East have the least.

Topic: Access to Water and Sanitation Mini-Simulation


Water stress versus water scarcity

An area is experiencing water stress when the amount of water available per person each year

drops below 1,700 m3. When the yearly water supplies drop below 1,000 m3 per person, the

population faces water scarcity. If a place has less than 500 m3 available, it is considered

absolute scarcity.

These numbers are picked because they represent the average amount of water needed for day

to day life. Water scarcity is defined as the point at which the impact of all people in an area

using water negatively affects the supply or quality of water. This means that at this point, not

all needs can be met: needs for drinking water, needs for a healthy environment, needs for

crops to grow, needs to run a factory, etc. Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at

http://www.unep.org/dewa/vitalwater/jpg/0221-waterstress-EN.jpg



any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be a social construct (affected by what people

expect and how they usually behave) or the result of a change in supply. For example, this

change in supply may be a result of climate change.

Water-related illnesses are one of the leading causes of disease and death in the world. At any

given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are filled with patients suffering from a water-

related illness. Almost half of all people in poor countries suffer from a health problem caused

by unmet water and sanitation needs. 2.6 billion people in the world (that is almost half of the

people in the world!) lack access to proper sanitation (toilets/latrines). Every 15 seconds, a

child dies from a water-related disease. For example, 1.8 million children die each year from

diarrhea. That means almost 5,000 deaths each day just from diarrhea. This happens because

the children lose water when they have diarrhea. Then, they do not have access to enough

water to drink to replace this lost water. Basically, almost 5,000 children die every day in the

world because they do not have enough to drink.

What are the needs?

In 2006 the UN estimated that more than a billion people--one-sixth of the world’s population--

lack even the bare minimum per day of safe drinking water. Although a person can manage for

a few days on a gallon or two of water a day, a healthy supply of clean water is about thirteen

gallons per person per day. These thirteen gallons are used for drinking (about 1.5 gallons),

sanitation and hygiene (about 5 gallons), bathing (about 3.5 gallons), and cooking (about 3

gallons). 13 gallons a day is not that much water.

People in the United States and Canada each use, on average, more than 150 gallons a day.

This does not include water used in agriculture (to grow food) and manufacturing (to make

things). We only need 13 gallons, but we use 150 gallons. This means we are wasting water.

We are using much more than we need. People in countries like Canada and the US need to

stop wasting water. In England, people do fine with about 25 gallons a day, or a fifth as much

as we use. The average African family only uses 5 gallons of water each day.

Access to water is one of the reasons for the difference in how much people in the world use.

This access is usual determined by how much money a person has. Poor people have less

access to water than rich people. The majority of people lacking access to clean water live on

less $2 a day. Many of them live in rural areas that do not have running water in their homes.

Millions of women and children spend several hours each day collecting water from distant,

often polluted sources. Even poor people who live in cities often do not have access to water.



They usually live in slum areas. Water companies often make them pay 5-10 times more than

wealthy people living in the same city.

The lack of freshwater resources is due to other problems besides poverty. Some of these include

pollution, contamination, and waste management. These make water undrinkable for humans and un-

livable for wildlife. Public health and sanitation projects that teach people good waste management can

help protect the freshwater they do have. Governments and the international community can help pay

for these projects. Governments can also make laws that do not allow businesses to pollute or

contaminate fresh water sources.

What is being done?

For a long time, most people did not believe that there is a water crisis, but now things are

changing. The largest-ever meeting of world leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration at the

United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000. At this time, they set the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs set targets with start and end dates. These targets try

to help the poorest people in the world have access to many of things that we take for granted:

going to school, visiting the doctor when we are sick, and having clean water to drink. One of

these targets (target 10) is to cut in half the number of people in the world who do not have

access to safe drinking water.

At another meeting of world leaders in 2002, this target grew to also include basic sanitation,

such as toilets and latrines. These world leaders also recognized that access to water is

Around 700 million people in 43 countries suffer today from water scarcity. By 2025, 1.8 billion people (almost one out of every 3 people in the world)

will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity. 2 out of 3 people could be living in water stressed places.

Due to climate change, almost half the world’s people will live in areas of high water stress by 2030. Most of them will be in Africa.

It is estimated that $11.3 billion more each year is needed to provide drinking water and sanitation at the most basic levels everyone in the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-stressed countries.



important to help meet all of the other targets in the MDGs. As a result of many of these

meetings, UN-Water was created.

United Nations- Water

Within the United Nations system, UN-Water is the group in charge of linking together all of the

work that deals with water resources that is done by more than 20 different agencies within the

United Nations. They have helped many people have access to clean drinking water and basic

sanitation, but many more people still need help, especially the poor. In order to focus

attention on these people, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2005-2015 Water for

Life: International Decade for Action.

International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015

One of the main programs of UN-Water is the Water for Life Decade. It tries to help the world

reach its target of providing clean water and sanitation to half of the people without it by 2015.

The goal of the Decade is to focus attention on activities and policies that provide long-term

sustainable use of water resources. To reach this goal, there must be more commitment,

cooperation and money from governments and international organizations throughout the next

5 years (and for years to come).

The ‘Water for Life’ Decade provides an opportunity for everyone to get involved. The

celebration of the Decade takes place all around the world on March 22nd. You can participate

in Water for Life, as an individual or as a class. One way to do this is on World Water Day.

March 22: World Water Day

World Water Day, is celebrated every year on March 22nd by the United Nations. It began in

1993. It focuses attention on the world's water crisis and how people can try to solve this

problem. Each year, World Water Day focuses on a specific aspect of freshwater. This year the

topic is Clean Water for a Healthy World. In 2007, the focus was on ‘Coping with Water

Scarcity.’ The theme for 2005 was ‘Water for Life.’ This focus was important in 2005 because it

was the start of the international decade for action (2005-2015).



Water.Org

Water.org is a nonprofit organization that works with communities in Africa, South Asia, and

Central America. They began in 1990, and they help provide people with access to safe water

and sanitation. In 2008, they worked in Honduras, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, and India. As a

result, 153,000 people had access to clean drinking water and toilets.

Actions of Rich Countries

Most people who work on the water crisis focus on technological solutions to increase the

supply of water—helping to change the way surface water flows so that more people can

access it, pumping up more water from the ground, and trying to take the salt out of seawater.

These ideas usually cost lots of money and are not good for the environment. Today, many

people realize that some countries in the world waste water. Another way to try to stop the

water crisis is to reduce the over use of water. People in rich countries that waste water

prevent people in poor countries from having access to it.

Also, there are no mandatory environmental rules that force countries to protect their fresh

water resources from pollution. However, there are rules that countries are encouraged to

follow. For example, Agenda 21 adopted by the UN in 1992 talks about the need for

governments to protect the quality and the amount of freshwater resources found in their

country and throughout the world.



Sources:

Coping with water scarcity. Challenge of the twenty-first century. UN-Water, FAO. 2007:

http://www.fao.org/nr/water/docs/escarcity.pdf

Fresh Water http://www.freshwater.org/

A New World Agenda: http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/carl_teichrib-6-99.html

Relief Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SNAA-7V973S?OpenDocument

United Nations Environmental Programme: http://www.unep.org/themes/Freshwater/index.asp

Vital Water Graphics. UNEP:

http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/ecosystems/water/vitalwater/

Water Organization: www.water.org; http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts

Water for Life Decade: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/html

Water Rights and Wrongs: http://hdr.undp.org/external/hdr2006/water/2.htm

Water Year: http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-

URL_ID=1456&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

WaterWired: http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/2008/09/water-shortage-in-russia.html

World Water Day: http://www.worldwaterday2010.info/

http://www.fao.org/nr/water/docs/escarcity.pdf

http://www.freshwater.org/

http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/carl_teichrib-6-99.html

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SNAA-7V973S?OpenDocument

http://www.unep.org/themes/Freshwater/index.asp

http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/ecosystems/water/vitalwater/

http://www.water.org/

http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts

http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/html

http://hdr.undp.org/external/hdr2006/water/2.htm

http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1456&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1456&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/2008/09/water-shortage-in-russia.html

http://www.worldwaterday2010.info/



Stakeholders

Government of Bangladesh

Government of Canada

Government of the Central African Republic

Government of Germany

Government of India

Government of Kenya

Government of Russia

Government of Saudi Arabia

Government of Thailand

Government of the United States

PRIORITIES TO BE DISCUSSSED DURING MINI‐SIMULATION

Efforts made to improve access to clean water and sanitation

Responsibilities of individuals, governments and the international community

Effects of poverty on access to freshwater

Equal access to and usage of freshwater resources for all people, rich and poor

Why ending the water crisis is important to the future of a country and the rest of the

world

Tasks:

1. Review the list of priorities for the simulation

2. After you are assigned a stakeholder, read through the information provided about this group.

3. Analyze the situation and determine a course of action for your stakeholder that can be

summarized in a 30 second to 1 minute speech to other stakeholders



4. Following the speeches, spend 15 minutes with the group to develop a plan of action to end the

water crisis.

5. If there are several action plans, vote on which one you think will have the greatest success.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORMULATING A RESOLUTION

Delegates should discuss the difficulties countries face when providing safe water and sanitation

services to their people. Delegates should also consider how well countries protect their freshwater

resources, as well as the various economic, social and environmental effects of not protecting them.

Finally, consider the role of international organizations and the support that rich countries can provide

for poor countries. There is a global water crisis, and important needs must be addressed. They include

access to water for most of the world’s poor people, efforts to protect freshwater resources, and a

greater need to address poverty as the main issue that prevents access to freshwater resources.

Sample Recommendations for Actions: Access to Water and Sanitation

1. Governments must set the legal protections for water resources. 2. Governments must ensure equal access to water resources. 3. Governments must address sanitation issues through education.

Think it through:

1. Are there shortages of freshwater resources in your country? If so, what effects do these have

on your nation’s health, economy, and development? 2. What does your country believe the international community can do to address the issue of

declining freshwater resources? 3. How does your country suggest the international community pay for global water resources

management programs? 4. Are there any steps being taken in your country to reduce freshwater pollution?

5. What strategies are most effective at changing behaviors that are already illegal? 6. What sort of aid programs does your country think the UN should provide to ensure access to

water?



Write your formal speech:

Thank you, honorable chair and fellow delegates. On the issue of access to water and

sanitation, we, the delegates representing ____________________ (name of country), would like to

recommend that the committee focus on

____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ (describe the

position you chose in your own words).

We have come to this decision because _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________.

Thank you.

What will you say when delegations from other countries disagree with you?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________



Access to Water and Sanitation: Take notes about what other countries think so you can debate!

Bangladesh

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Kenya

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Canada

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Russia

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Central African Republic

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Saudi Arabia

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Germany

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

Thailand

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

India

Position: 1 2 3

Why:

The United States

Position: 1 2 3

Why:



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er u

se h

as d

ecre

ased

in G

erm

any

lead

ing

to t

he

pro

ble

m o

f to

o m

uch

wat

er.

Po

tab

le w

ater

has

to

be

use

d i

n o

rder

to

flu

sh o

ut

the

sew

er s

yste

m a

nd

in

cit

ies

such

as

Ber

lin t

he

wat

er l

evel

is

incr

easi

ng

cau

sin

g

fou

nd

atio

nal

issu

es in

man

y p

arts

of

the

city

.



Ind

ia h

as t

he

wo

rld

’s s

eco

nd

larg

est

po

pu

lati

on

wit

h m

ore

th

an 1

bill

ion

peo

ple

. Its

po

pu

lati

on

is m

ore

th

an 3

.5 t

imes

th

e

size

of

that

of

the

Un

ited

Sta

tes.

Bu

t, In

dia

is o

nly

on

e-t

hir

d o

f th

e p

hys

ical

siz

e o

f th

e U

S. P

ove

rty

is a

big

pro

ble

m in

Ind

ia.

1 o

ut

of

eve

ry 4

peo

ple

live

s o

n le

ss t

han

$2

a d

ay. T

he

gap

bet

we

en p

oo

r an

d r

ich

peo

ple

kee

ps

gro

win

g.

Ind

ia d

oes

no

t h

ave

eno

ugh

fre

shw

ater

fo

r al

l of

its

peo

ple

. In

dia

’s h

uge

an

d g

row

ing

po

pu

lati

on

pu

ts a

big

str

ain

on

all

of

the

cou

ntr

y’s

nat

ura

l res

ou

rces

, in

clu

din

g w

ater

. M

ost

wat

er s

ou

rces

are

co

nta

min

ated

by

sew

age

and

agr

icu

ltu

ral

run

off

. In

dia

has

mad

e so

me

pro

gres

s in

th

e su

pp

ly o

f sa

fe w

ater

to

its

peo

ple

, bu

t a

lot

of

ineq

ual

ity

exis

ts a

cro

ss t

he

cou

ntr

y. In

ord

er t

o d

ecre

ase

the

amo

un

t o

f d

isea

se s

pre

ad t

hro

ugh

dri

nki

ng

-wat

er, t

oile

t u

sage

an

d h

ygie

ne

mu

st b

oth

be

imp

rove

d.

GO

VER

NM

ENT O

F IND

IA



GO

VER

NM

ENT O

F KEN

YA

Ove

r 5

0 p

erce

nt

of

Ke

nya

ns

are

livin

g o

n le

ss t

han

$2

a d

ay.

Po

vert

y is

eve

ryw

her

e, a

nd

it a

ffec

ts t

he

amo

un

t o

f

wat

er p

eop

le c

an a

cces

s. T

he

wat

er c

risi

s in

Ken

ya s

low

s d

ow

n d

aily

life

, bec

ause

so

mu

ch t

ime

is s

pen

t lo

oki

ng

for

it. T

he

cu

rren

t la

ck o

f ra

in a

nd

wat

er s

ho

rtag

es a

re e

xpec

ted

to

co

nti

nu

e, m

akin

g th

e si

tuat

ion

wo

rse.

Th

ere

are

oth

er r

easo

ns

for

the

wat

er c

risi

s in

Ken

ya: p

oo

r m

anag

emen

t o

f th

e w

ater

su

pp

ly, l

ack

of

mo

ney

inve

sted

by

the

gove

rnm

ent,

un

fair

dis

trib

uti

on

of

wat

er (

ine

qu

alit

y), p

ollu

tio

n o

f w

ater

su

pp

lies

by

un

trea

ted

sew

age,

an

d h

uge

po

pu

lati

on

gro

wth

.

Ken

ya is

cla

ssif

ied

as

a w

ater

sca

rce

cou

ntr

y. O

nly

ab

ou

t h

alf

of

the

rura

l po

pu

lati

on

has

acc

ess

to a

go

od

dri

nki

ng

wat

er s

ou

rce,

an

d t

he

tim

e sp

ent

colle

ctin

g w

ater

eve

ry d

ay o

ften

pre

ven

ts w

om

en f

rom

tak

ing

up

inco

me

gen

erat

ing

acti

viti

es (

emp

loym

ent)

, or

in t

he

case

of

girl

s, p

reve

nts

th

em f

rom

att

end

ing

sch

oo

l.



GO

VER

NM

ENT O

F RU

SSIA

Ru

ssia

has

on

e o

f th

e la

rges

t am

ou

nts

of

fre

shw

ater

in t

he

wo

rld

. In

fac

t, t

her

e ar

e m

ore

fre

shw

ater

res

ou

rces

in R

uss

ia

than

all

of

Euro

pe

com

bin

ed.

They

hav

e 3

0,0

00

m3

per

cap

ita,

on

e o

f th

e h

igh

est

leve

ls in

th

e w

orl

d.

Yet,

a w

ater

cri

sis

is b

egin

nin

g th

ere.

Th

is is

bec

ause

mu

ch o

f th

eir

wat

er is

po

llute

d.

Mo

re t

han

hal

f o

f al

l th

e w

ater

use

d in

Ru

ssia

is f

or

ind

ust

ries

(o

ften

fac

tori

es).

Th

is n

um

ber

is r

eally

hig

h a

nd

pre

ven

ts s

om

e p

eop

le f

rom

hav

ing

acce

ss t

o d

rin

kin

g w

ater

.

Acc

ess

to w

ater

res

ou

rces

is n

ot

very

eq

ual

in R

uss

ia.

Mo

st p

eop

le li

ve in

th

e w

este

rn p

art

of

the

cou

ntr

y w

hic

h h

as v

ery

littl

e w

ater

, wh

ile f

ew p

eop

le li

ve in

th

e ea

st w

her

e m

ost

of

the

wat

er is

. T

he

gove

rnm

ent

of

Ru

ssia

wan

ts t

o s

top

th

e

beg

inn

ing

of

thei

r w

ater

cri

sis.

Th

ey a

re t

akin

g an

act

ive

role

in t

ryin

g to

low

er t

he

po

lluti

on

cau

sed

by

ind

ust

ries

,

fin

din

g w

ays

to p

uri

fy w

ater

, an

d s

pen

din

g m

ore

mo

ney

to

pro

tect

th

eir

fres

hw

ater

res

ou

rces

. Th

ey a

lso

are

rat

ion

ing

the

wat

er u

se o

f th

eir

citi

zen

s, w

hic

h m

ean

s th

ey li

mit

ho

w m

uch

on

e p

erso

n c

an u

se.



GO

VER

NM

ENT O

F SAU

DI

AR

AB

IA

The

kin

gdo

m o

f Sa

ud

i Ara

bia

is a

des

sert

kin

gdo

m lo

cate

d o

n t

he

Ara

bia

n P

enin

sula

, th

us

fres

h w

ater

res

ou

rces

are

bas

ical

ly

no

nex

iste

nt.

Sau

di A

rab

ia h

as b

een

wo

rkin

g fo

r m

any

year

s to

fin

d a

mea

ns

of

bei

ng

self

su

ffic

ien

t w

hen

it c

om

es t

o w

ater

.

Two

mai

n v

enu

es f

or

reso

urc

es h

ave

app

eare

d. O

ne,

Sau

di A

rab

ia h

as d

rille

d in

to v

ery

dee

p a

qu

ifer

s in

ord

er t

o p

rovi

de

its

peo

ple

wit

h a

cces

s to

wat

er. T

hes

e re

sou

rces

are

no

n-r

enew

able

fo

rcin

g Sa

ud

i Ara

bia

to

loo

k el

sew

her

e as

th

ose

res

ou

rces

hav

e

dim

inis

hed

. Des

alin

atio

n, a

pro

cess

by

wh

ich

sal

t is

rem

ove

d f

rom

Sea

wat

er

has

bec

om

e th

e m

ain

ave

nu

e fo

r w

ate

r. T

his

co

mes

wit

h t

wo

gre

at p

rob

lem

s, o

ne

is t

he

fact

th

at t

his

pro

cess

req

uir

es im

men

se a

mo

un

ts o

f en

ergy

plu

s is

ver

y ex

pen

sive

. Th

e o

ther

is t

hat

th

e P

ersi

an G

ulf

, th

e m

ain

so

urc

e fo

r w

ate

r, h

as b

een

po

llute

d d

ue

to t

he

Gu

lf w

ars.



GO

VER

NM

ENT O

F THE

UN

ITED STA

TES

The

Un

ited

Sta

tes

is n

ot

exp

erie

nci

ng

wat

er s

carc

ity

or

even

wat

er s

tres

s. M

any

peo

ple

wo

uld

say

th

at t

her

e is

no

wat

er c

risi

s

in t

he

Un

ited

Sta

tes.

Oth

ers

wo

uld

dis

agre

e.

Som

e p

eop

le t

hin

k th

e ab

use

(o

ver

use

) o

f w

ater

in t

he

Un

ited

Sta

tes

is a

wat

er

cris

is.

For

exam

ple

, lik

e C

anad

a, t

he

aver

age

per

son

use

s ab

ou

t 15

0 g

allo

ns

of

wat

er p

er p

erso

n e

very

day

eve

n t

ho

ugh

on

ly 1

3

gallo

ns

are

nee

ded

.

The

Un

ited

Sta

tes

sup

po

rts

the

effo

rts

of

po

ore

r co

un

trie

s in

man

y w

ays,

incl

ud

ing

thro

ugh

th

e U

N.

They

hav

e si

gned

Age

nd

a

21

, bu

t th

ey d

o n

ot

alw

ays

follo

w it

. Th

e U

S w

ork

s h

ard

to

pro

tect

th

e fr

esh

wat

er r

eso

urc

es in

th

e U

nit

ed S

tate

s, b

ut

they

som

etim

es d

o n

ot

try

as h

ard

in o

ther

co

un

trie

s. F

or

exam

ple

, so

me

US

com

pan

ies

in o

ther

co

un

trie

s co

nta

min

ate

or

po

llute

man

y o

f th

e fr

esh

wat

er r

eso

urc

es b

ecau

se it

sav

es t

he

com

pan

y m

on

ey.



GO

VER

NM

ENT O

F THA

ILAN

D

In a

n in

dep

end

ent

stu

dy

by

a U

nit

ed N

atio

ns

exp

ert

it w

as r

epo

rted

th

at a

lth

ou

gh s

ign

ific

ant

step

s h

ad b

een

take

n in

Th

aila

nd

to

del

iver

cle

an w

ater

in m

any

par

ts o

f Th

aila

nd

peo

ple

wer

e st

ill b

ein

g m

argi

nal

ized

. Th

e

stu

dy

stat

es t

hat

wh

ile s

anit

ary

con

dit

ion

s ar

e m

et in

man

y ci

ties

acr

oss

Th

aila

nd

it is

th

e ru

ral s

ecto

r o

f th

e

cou

ntr

y th

at h

as b

een

ign

ore

d. T

his

pro

ble

m is

esc

alat

ed b

y th

e in

crea

sin

g la

ck o

f sa

nit

atio

n m

eth

od

s b

ein

g

use

d t

o t

reat

hu

man

was

te. C

on

seq

uen

tly

man

y o

f th

e ri

vers

in T

hai

lan

d h

ave

beg

un

to

be

po

llute

d a

nd

hav

e

dep

lete

d a

so

urc

e o

f d

rin

kin

g an

d b

ath

ing

wat

er f

or

man

y ru

ral c

itiz

ens

of

Thai

lan

d.

topic: access to water and sanitation -...

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