Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water courses. Source: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)
In developing countries, 70 percent of industrial wastes are dumped untreated into waters where they pollute the usable water supply. Source: WWAP
Contribution of the food sector to the production of organic water pollutants:
- High income countries: 40 percent
- Low-income countries: 54 percent Source: WWAP
Projected increases in fertilizer use for food production and in wastewater effluents over the next three decades suggest there will be a 10-20 per cent global increase in river nitrogen flows to coastal ecosystems. Source: Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4)
Half of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900. Source: WWAP
Between 1991 and 2000 over 665,000 people died in 2,557 natural disasters of which 90 percent were water-related events. Source: WWAP