Although the shortage of clean water is increasing at a rapid pace like pure air, it is not being discussed much. Maybe we live on a blue planet with plenty of water. But less than 3% of the water in this vast body of water is tasty or drinkable. Much of the drinkable water is again out of our reach (e.g. a large part of this water is trapped in glaciers).
Water is another name for life. The right to life means the water right. If there is water, there will be life. The existence of life without water cannot be imagined. The crisis is spreading in different parts of the world due to the impact of climate change. Nearly two-thirds of the world's population is in a water crisis. And more than 76 crore people are in a crisis of drinking water.
About 50% of the world's groundwater is used for drinking and 40% for agriculture. And 8% of the total water used for agriculture in Bangladesh is underground. At the rate at which water is extracted, that amount of water is not naturally added to those underground aquifers under the ground. According to a study by a UN panel on climate change, about 20 percent of pure water is lost due to rising temperatures. If this continues, there will be a water crisis in 40 percent of the world by 2030. On top of that, the water demand will increase by about 55% by the middle of this century.
Most of these huge populations deprived of safe water rights are again extremely poor. A large part of the marginalized population lives in the villages. The biggest victims are women and children. The crises in Asia and Africa are terrible. According to UN estimates, by 2030, the world's potable water supply will be 40 percent less than demand.
Drinking water has been calculated considering the source. But they are also getting polluted now. 13 percent of the country's water contains more than the acceptable level of arsenic. As for some people, it is again like 27 percent.
According to a World Bank study published in October last year, E. coli bacteria are present in about 70 percent of pipeline water. The presence of this bacterium has been found at the same level in the water of the pond. This harmful microorganism is also found in the water of 38% of tube wells. E. coli bacteria are blamed for inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
According to a UNICEF survey, China's 107 million; 99 million people in India and 63 million people in Nigeria are deprived of the right to safe drinking water. On the other hand, Ethiopia has 43 million; 39 million in Indonesia and 18 million in Pakistan are deprived of the right to clean water. Our country also has an extreme crisis. About 26 million people live in a water crisis here.
It has been said that if World War III started on earth, it would be caused by water. Therefore, states should formulate their action plans to ensure the supply of pure water. Due to the increasing use of groundwater in various fields including agriculture, the water level is gradually decreasing. Due to the scarcity of surface water, integrated and efficient management of surface and groundwater is very important. More effective steps need to be taken to ensure safe water in middle-income countries like Bangladesh or developing countries.
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