The Elixir of Life Is Now a Leading Cause of Death

NEW YORK – Commenting on World Water Day (March 22), the Secretary-General of the United Nations said,
“2.1 billion people live without safe water . . . By 2030, an estimated 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity.”
2.1 billion people live without safe clean water . . . By 2030, an estimated 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity
It is insightful, if not interesting, that we can infer from the Secretary-General’s comments that he does not expect to be able to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #6 for 100 percent clean water access by the 2030 goal.
There is no question that the world is facing a water crisis that could potentially affect the entire global population. And, despite the claims that no one should be denied access to clean water, most people who are currently affected by a lack of clean water are not “denied access.’ They either don’t have a source of water nearby and/or the source they have is polluted. Many have no choice. When they are thirsty, contaminated water is their only choice. Often the closest source is a mile or more away.
However, as the global population continues to increase along with agricultural and industrial demands for water, the eventual losers will be individual men, women, and children who are left to fend for themselves against corporate giants. When the world reaches that tipping point, we may discover that access to clean water may become a need that is denied by whatever powers may be.
Most people would be startled to learn that, on average, the number of people who have died annually over the past 35 years from drinking unsafe water is more than 10 times greater than either natural disasters or armed conflicts (780,000 vs. 63,000 and 75,000).
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