Drinking water: an insufficiently ensured, vital need
Along with food, drinking water is one of the major vital human needs. It is rarely a problem in OECD countries, Eastern Europe, or newly industrialised countries, some exceptions being Georgia and Romania, where 82% and 57% of the population have access to drinking water as of circa 2005, respectively.
The situation varies more widely in the southern countries. Of the 30 most affected countries, 21 are in Africa, 3 in South-east Asia (Cambodia, Laos, East Timor), and 3 in the Pacific region (Papua-New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu). Once again, incomplete figures may cloud the situation and make it difficult to assess. 33% of the Chinese population, 430 million people, have no access to drinking water. In more than a quarter of the world’s countries, at least 20% of the population has limited access to drinking water.
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