Dead planet, living planet
Wastewater, Health and Human well being Investing in water supply and sanitation
Economic return for water and sanitation investments for two different scenarios
US Dollars return for each dollar invested
45
40
Central and Eastern Europe
35
30
Western Pacific
25
Eastern Mediterranean
Pacific Ocean
20
South East Asia
Africa
15
Atlantic Ocean
10
Latin America and Caribbeans
Indian Ocean
Scenario B
5
Scenario A
0
1 000
WHO scenarios for 2015
Mortality rate for WHO sanitary regions
Diarrhoea cases averted per year reaching:
Water Source and sanitation for the Millennium Development Goals Regulated piped water source and sewer connection
Thousands
430 130
High
Source: Hutton, G., et al ., Global cost-benefit analysis of water supply and sanitation interventions, Journal of Water and Health, 2007.
A
Child
Low
Scenario A Scenario B
Low
High
Very high
B
1
Adult
Figure 9: Wastewater, health and human well being.
and harmful algal blooms that will further degrade marine biomass and biological diversity (Sherman and Hempel 2008; UNEP, 2008). At least 1.8 million children under five years die every year due to water related disease, or one every 20 seconds (WHO, 2007). Estimates of the global burden of water-associated hu-
man diseases provide a simple index hiding a complex real- ity. For an estimated 88 % of diarrhoea cases the underlying cause is unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Moreover, it is estimated that 50 % of malnutrition is asso- ciated with repeated diarrhoea or intestinal worm infections. Childhood malnutrition is at the root of 35 % of all global child mortality (WHO, 2007).
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