Clean water

Arwen Hernandez

Sociology 202-04

Current Event #4

Urbanization

September 8, 2006



Summary:


More than a billion people do not have access to clean


drinking water. Over 2 and a half billion do not have


access to reasonable sanitation. The World Health


Organization and UNICEF have stated that the previous goal


of cutting that in half by 2015 is no longer feasible. The


continuation of rapid population growth and migration to


urban areas, causing urbanization, is the cause of this


step backwards. The regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern


Asia, and Southern Asia are the most effected. Over 900


million rural people remain with unsafe water. The


increase in urbanization may cause millions to not have


access to water in the future. In order to improve the


situation water sources, adding piped water, protect wells


and rainwater collection and the installation of sewer


systems.


Response:


It has been a well known but easily ignorable fact


that the world’s water is slowly becoming less plentiful.


The average American does not think in those terms simply


because it hasn’t really impacted or interfered with their


lives yet. The key word being yet. Urbanization has been


increasing at such a rapid pace all over the world,


including the US. It is only a matter of time before the


crisis begins to affect those close to home. Some ways to


slow down this rapid urbanization in regard to water, as I


listed above, is all a matter of reinforcing those already


in practice. The installation and reinforcing of the sewer


systems would ensure the keeping of the ground water as


pure as we can. Rainwater collection could improve our


resource immensely. The public just needs to be taught


how.