Sick water?

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: Investment to improve basic access to a safe water source and sanitation (WHO scenario A) can have a significant return with the largest impact on health in particular averting diarrhoea cases and time saved (increasing productivity). Urbanized areas provide a large proportion of GDP, therefore the future development of developing countries is dependent on the productivity of growing urban areas.

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