Some people live in countries where they just need to turn on a tap to get drinking water, running hot or cold in an apparently endless supply. They find it hard to realize what a problem water as a resource can still be today for much of the world’s population.
This is the burning issue due to be discussed at Watec Italy 2019, the event that will see water professionals descend on Cremona from 23 to 26 October to explore technologies and strategies for the sustainable management of this important asset.
Reports by UNICEF and the World Bank speak clearly. They estimate that 663 million people lack access to clean water worldwide, while 1.8 billion people use water with potential faecal contamination. This urgent situation causes the death of 1,000 children a day due to pathologies caused by the failure to sanitise water, deaths which can be avoided by taking appropriate action.
The situation worldwide is slowly improving. The same sources estimate that from 1990 to 2015 at least 2.6 billion people have seen an improvement in the quality of the water they have access to. But there are profound differences between the regions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Far East; the situation in sub-Saharan Africa has improved by just 6% while the Far East managed 29%.
This is why participating in Watec Italy is a first step towards a greater awareness on an issue that is strategic for the development of the world economy. Stay tuned.
