World Environment Day June 5
Water - Two Billion People Are Dying For It!

Burlington 5 June 2003 - Improved water management has brought benefits to many people in developing countries. Over the past 20 years, over 2.4 billion people have gained access to safe water supplies and 600 million have gained access to improved sanitation. However, adequate drinking water and sanitation for people are recognized as a worldwide problem, and the problem is particularly severe in rural and rapidly growing urban areas.

Today, Mr. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, has noted that “One out of every six people lives without regular access to safe drinking water. Worse, water-related diseases kill a child every eight seconds, and are responsible for 80 percent of all illnesses and deaths in the developing world.” Half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from water-borne diseases.

To help solve this situation, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), through its GEMS/Water Programme, is marking World Environment Day by launching a new database on the distribution of pathogens in water sources. Up until now, there has been little information on the distribution of viruses and pathogens, even in developed countries.

Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms that can enter water supplies from sources like municipal wastewater and agricultural wastes. Pathogens in surface or groundwater pose a threat to public health, and affect aquatic ecosystem health and biodiversity.

“Our new pathogens database represents a direct contribution to meeting an important global need,” says Dr. Richard Robarts. “If we want to succeed in providing safe drinking water and sanitation for all, then we must have the right information on hand.”

The new pathogens database is the most up-to-date and comprehensive in the world, and provides the widest range of information on waterborne pathogens in one place. The purpose of the database is to provide a baseline dataset on more than 74 known factors that cause disease and death, that are transmitted in water. The baseline data can be compared with information obtained locally and used as a “yardstick” for other drinking water treatment facilities. This means that communities around the world can find out with greater certainty exactly how clean their water is. This knowledge can be used in turn to determine the most appropriate methods to treat water and to monitor human health impacts.

Water quality and human health linkages are an important issue in developed as well as in developing countries. UNEP, through its GEMS/Water Programme, is responding to the call made by the international community last September at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, for better links to be made between heath and environment issues. At Johannesburg, governments agreed to “Launch international capacity-building initiatives, as appropriate, that assess health and environment linkages and use the knowledge gained to create more effective national and regional policy responses to environmental threats to human health.”

The new database illustrates the value of sharing information. The Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water of the United States Environmental Protection Agency gave GEMS/Water their data and information on pathogenic organisms and organics in both water sources and treated water. The 74 identified parameters include Gardia, Fecal Coli, E. Coli, protozoa and organics. The data were collected from 500 treatment plants in 290 geographic regions in the United States including island states and protectorates.

What does GEMS/Water do?
Since its establishment in 1977, the UNEP Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS)/Water Programme has become internationally renowned as the primary source for global water quality data. It is a multi-faceted water science centre oriented towards knowledge development on inland quality issues throughout the world. Major activities include monitoring, assessment and capacity building. The twin goals of the programme are to improve water quality monitoring and assessment capabilities in participating countries, and to determine the status and trends of regional and global water quality.

These goals are implemented through the GEMS/Water data bank, including water quality data from more than 100 countries, with over two million entries for lakes, reservoirs, rivers and groundwater systems. By compiling a global database, GEMS adds value to country-level data by creating global and regional water quality assessments. The programme also carries out assessments on a range of water quality issues and methodologies. GEMS/Water data have been used by other organizations, including the UN system and universities around the world.

World Environment Day, considered one of the most important events on the environment calendar, is celebrated every year in more than 100 countries. The occasion serves to inspire political and community action. Governments, individuals, non-governmental organizations, community and youth groups, business, industry and the media undertake a variety of activities aimed at renewing their commitment to the protection of the environment. Individuals and organizations are invited to post details about their planned WED events and learn about what others are doing to celebrate WED across the globe.