World Water Day 2020

22 March 2020 is World Water Day and here at UKVending we’d like to remind you that whilst water is plentiful and abundant in the United Kingdom around the world it is a scarce and precious resource and one that every single human being and other animal on the planet needs to survive. The United Nations have since 1993 staged World Water Day on 22 March annually to remind people just how important water is to the world and all its peoples.

Here are some facts about water on World Water Day.

• 2.1 billion people live without safe water at home.
• One in four primary schools have no drinking water service, with pupils using unprotected sources or going thirsty.
• More than 700 children under five years of age die every day from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
• Globally, 80% of the people who have to use unsafe and unprotected water sources live in rural areas.
• Women and girls are responsible for water collection in eight out of ten households with water off-premises.
• For the 68.5 million people who have been forced to flee their homes, accessing safe water services is highly problematic.
• Around 159 million people collect their drinking water from surface water, such as ponds and streams.
• Around 4 billion people – nearly two-thirds of the world’s population – experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
• Over 800 women die every day from complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
• 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.