Water policy 'fails world's poor'

Last Updated: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 17:01 GMT

Water policy 'fails world's poor'

By Mark Kinver
BBC News science and nature reporter

Almost 20% of the world's population still lacks access to safe drinking water because of failed
policies, an influential report has concluded.

The UN World Water Development Report also blames a lack of resources and environmental changes
for the problem.

The study calls for better leadership if a goal of halving the proportion of people without proper
access to safe water by 2015 is to be achieved.

'Ignore at our peril'

The report - called Water, A Shared Responsibility - also found that:

  * Water quality is declining in most regions, affecting the diversity of freshwater species
     and ecosystems
  * Poor water quality is a key cause of poverty. Around 3.1m people died in 2002 as a result
     of diarrhoeal diseases and malaria, 90% of whom were children
  * The world will require 55% more food by 2030, increasing the demand for irrigation which
     already accounts for 70% of all freshwater used by humans
  * Many places are "losing" 30-40% of water through leakage and illegal extraction
  * Political corruption is estimated to cost the water sector millions of dollars every year
     and undermines services