More than 300 million people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are at risk of life-threatening diseases like cholera and typhoid because of the increasing pollution of water in rivers and lakes, the U.N. Environment Program said Tuesday.
Between 1990 and 2010, pollution caused by viruses, bacteria and other micro-organisms, and long-lasting toxic pollutants like fertilizer or petrol, increased in more than half of rivers across the three continents, while salinity levels rose in nearly a third, UNEP said in a report.
Population growth, expansion of agriculture and an increased amount of raw sewage released into rivers and lakes were among the main reasons behind the increase of surface water pollution, putting 323 million people at risk of infection, UNEP said.
"The water quality problem at a global scale and the number of people affected by bad water quality are much more severe than we expected," Dietrich Borchardt, lead author of the report, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
However, a significant number of rivers remain in good condition and need to be protected, he said by phone from Germany.
About a quarter of rivers in Latin America, 10 percent to 25 percent in Africa and up to 50 percent in Asia were affected by severe pathogen pollution, largely caused by discharging untreated wastewater into rivers and lakes, the report said.
Millions of deaths yearly
About 3.4 million people die each year from diseases or conditions such as cholera, typhoid, polio or diarrhea, which are associated with pathogens in water, UNEP said.
It's estimated that up to 164 million people in Africa, 134 million in Asia and 25 million in Latin America were at risk of infection from the diseases.
It said building more sewers was not enough to prevent infections and deaths, adding that the solution was to treat wastewater.
Organic pollution, which can cause water to be completely starved of oxygen, affects one of every seven kilometers of rivers (0.6 mile of every 4.4 miles) in Latin America, Africa and Asia, threatening freshwater fisheries, UNEP said.
Severe and moderate salinity levels, caused by the disposal of salty water from mines, irrigation systems and homes, affect one in 10 rivers on the three continents, making it harder for poor farmers to irrigate their crops, it said.
The trend of worsening water pollution was "critical," Borchardt said.
"It is much more expensive to clean up surface water from severe pollution than to implement proper management, which includes prevention of pollution," he said. "Tools are available but the challenge is to implement them."
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More than 300 million people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are at risk of life-threatening diseases like cholera and typhoid because of the increasing pollution of water in rivers and lakes, the U.N. Environment Program said Tuesday.
More than 300 million people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are at risk of life-threatening diseases like cholera and typhoid because of the increasing pollution of water in rivers and lakes, the U.N. Environment Program said Tuesday.
Between 1990 and 2010, pollution caused by viruses, bacteria and other micro-organisms, and long-lasting toxic pollutants like fertilizer or petrol, increased in more than half of rivers across the three continents, while salinity levels rose in nearly a third, UNEP said in a report.
Population growth, expansion of agriculture and an increased amount of raw sewage released into rivers and lakes were among the main reasons behind the increase of surface water pollution, putting 323 million people at risk of infection, UNEP said.
"The water quality problem at a global scale and the number of people affected by bad water quality are much more severe than we expected," Dietrich Borchardt, lead author of the report, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
However, a significant number of rivers remain in good condition and need to be protected, he said by phone from Germany.
About a quarter of rivers in Latin America, 10 percent to 25 percent in Africa and up to 50 percent in Asia were affected by severe pathogen pollution, largely caused by discharging untreated wastewater into rivers and lakes, the report said.
Millions of deaths yearly
About 3.4 million people die each year from diseases or conditions such as cholera, typhoid, polio or diarrhea, which are associated with pathogens in water, UNEP said.
It's estimated that up to 164 million people in Africa, 134 million in Asia and 25 million in Latin America were at risk of infection from the diseases.
It said building more sewers was not enough to prevent infections and deaths, adding that the solution was to treat wastewater.
Organic pollution, which can cause water to be completely starved of oxygen, affects one of every seven kilometers of rivers (0.6 mile of every 4.4 miles) in Latin America, Africa and Asia, threatening freshwater fisheries, UNEP said.
Severe and moderate salinity levels, caused by the disposal of salty water from mines, irrigation systems and homes, affect one in 10 rivers on the three continents, making it harder for poor farmers to irrigate their crops, it said.
The trend of worsening water pollution was "critical," Borchardt said.
"It is much more expensive to clean up surface water from severe pollution than to implement proper management, which includes prevention of pollution," he said. "Tools are available but the challenge is to implement them."
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Plus de 300 millions de personnes en Asie, en Afrique et en Amérique latine sont à risque de maladies mortelles comme le choléra et la typhoïde en raison de la pollution croissante de l'eau dans les rivières et les lacs, le Programme Environnement U.N. a déclaré mardi.
Entre 1990 et 2010, la pollution causée par des virus, des bactéries et d'autres micro-organismes, et de longue durée des polluants toxiques comme les engrais ou de l'essence, a augmenté dans plus de la moitié des rivières à travers les trois continents, tandis que les niveaux de salinité a augmenté dans près d'un tiers, le PNUE a déclaré dans un rapport.
La croissance démographique, l'expansion de l'agriculture et une plus grande quantité d'eaux usées brutes rejetées dans les rivières et les lacs ont été parmi les principales raisons de l'augmentation de la pollution des eaux de surface, en mettant 323 millions de personnes à risque d'infection, le PNUE a dit.
"Le problème de la qualité de l'eau à l'échelle mondiale et le nombre de personnes touchées par la mauvaise qualité de l'eau sont beaucoup plus sévères que nous nous attendions," Dietrich Borchardt, auteur principal du rapport, a déclaré à la Fondation Thomson Reuters.
Cependant, un nombre important de rivières restent en bon état et doivent être protégés, at-il dit par téléphone de l'Allemagne.
Environ un quart des rivières en Amérique latine, 10 pour cent à 25 pour cent en Afrique et jusqu'à 50 pour cent en Asie ont été touchés par la pollution de l'agent pathogène grave, en grande partie causée par la décharge des eaux usées non traitées dans les rivières et les lacs, le rapport dit.
Des millions de décès par an
Environ 3,4 millions de personnes meurent chaque année de maladies ou de conditions telles que le choléra, la typhoïde, la polio ou la diarrhée, qui sont associés à des agents pathogènes dans l'eau, le PNUE a dit.
On estime que jusqu'à 164 millions de personnes en Afrique, 134 millions en Asie et 25 millions en Amérique latine étaient à risque d'infection par les maladies.
Il dit bâtiment plus égouts n'a pas suffi à prévenir les infections et les décès, ajoutant que la solution était de traiter les eaux usées.
La pollution organique, ce qui peut provoquer l'eau pour être complètement privé d'oxygène, affecte l'un des tous les sept kilomètres de rivières (0,6 mile de tous les 4.4 miles) en Amérique latine, en Afrique et en Asie, pêche en eau douce en danger, le PNUE a dit.
niveaux de salinité sévère et modérée, causée par l'élimination de l'eau salée dans les mines, les systèmes d'irrigation et les maisons, touchent un 10 cours d'eau sur les trois continents, ce qui rend plus difficile pour les agriculteurs pauvres à irriguer leurs cultures, il a dit.
La tendance de l'aggravation de la pollution de l'eau était "critique", a déclaré Borchardt.
"Il est beaucoup plus coûteux de nettoyer les eaux de surface contre la pollution grave que de mettre en œuvre une bonne gestion, qui comprend la prévention de la pollution», at-il dit. «Les outils sont disponibles, mais le défi est de les mettre en œuvre."
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