Background Information
Globally
One of every six people in the world lacks access to safe drinking water. That's over 1.1 BILLION PEOPLE globally.
Two of every five people in the world lack access to basic sanitation services. That's nearly 2.6 BILLION PEOPLE globally.
—from the UUCS's Water Rights Fact Sheet (PDF)By 2080, it is likely that 1.1 to 3.2 billion people will be experiencing water scarcity; 200 to 600 million, hunger; 2 to 7 million more per year, coastal flooding.
Stresses such as increased drought, water shortages and riverine and coastal flooding will affect many local and regional populations. This will lead in some cases to relocation within or between countries, exacerbating conflicts and imposing migration pressures.
—from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
For more information, see Christian Aid's "Human tide: the real immigration crisis" (PDF, 28 pages). Christian Aid argues that since the developed world is responsible for most of the climate change pollution, it should bear the brunt of the cost of helping those worst hit by it—the poor.
Nationally
On the national level, Sierra Club points out that since the enactment of the Clean Water Act, the quality and safety of U.S. drinking water has been protected. But now, developers, the oil industry and other polluters are trying to get around these protections. The drinking water of more than 110 million people would be affected . Read more about it in "Keeping Our Nation's Public Drinking Water Safe (PDF, 16 pages): Why Americans' Drinking Water Sources Are at Risk" from the Sierra Club.
In addition to keeping drinking water safe is the issue of access. Increased privitization of our water systems is turning water into a commodity, available only to those who can afford to pay. The poor and communities of color are most adversely affected. For examples of the issues, see the UU Legislative Ministry, California's web page on climate and water justice.
For more information contact environment @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, June 20, 2008.
