International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems.

Coping with the growing needs of water and sanitation services within cities is one of the most pressing issues of this century. Sustainable, efficient and equitable urban water management has never been as important as in today's world. This page provides an interactive visualization for easy viewing of latest and most relevant data on urban water and sanitaion management.

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  • Every month, cities gain an average of 5 million residents.
  • 95% of the urban expansion in the next decades will take place in the developing world.
  • Within two decades, nearly 60% of the world's population – 5 billion people will be urban dwellers.

The above map shows average annual percent growth of the midyear population in areas defined as urban.

Note: For 2010 to 2050, all data are forecasts based on assumptions enumerated in the technical notes.
Reference(s): World Resources Institute Urban and Rural Areas: Growth rate of urban population

The above map shows urban population as a percent of total population.

Note: For 2010 to 2030, all data are forecasts based on assumptions enumerated in the technical notes.
Reference(s): World Resources Institute Urban and Rural Areas: Urban population as a percent of total population

The above map shows midyear population of areas defined as urban.

Note: For 2010 to 2030, all data are forecasts based on assumptions enumerated in the technical notes.
Reference(s): World Resources Institute Urban and Rural Areas: Urban population

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  • In Africa and Asia the urban population will double between 2000 and 2030.

The above chart shows average annual percent growth of the midyear population in areas defined as urban.

Note: For 2010 to 2050, all data are forecasts based on assumptions enumerated in the technical notes.
Reference(s): World Resources Institute Urban and Rural Areas: Growth rate of urban population

The above chart shows urban population as a percent of total population.

Note: For 2010 to 2030, all data are forecasts based on assumptions enumerated in the technical notes.
Reference(s): World Resources Institute Urban and Rural Areas: Urban population as a percent of total population

The above chart shows midyear population of areas defined as urban.

Note: For 2010 to 2030, all data are forecasts based on assumptions enumerated in the technical notes.
Reference(s): World Resources Institute Urban and Rural Areas: Urban population

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  • 828 million people live in slums, often lacking sanitation facilities. This number grows by 6 million each year
  • One out of four city residents, 794 million in total, lives without access to improved sanitation facilities.
  • 1.1 Billion people still defecate in the open.
  • Between 1998 and 2008, 813 million urban dwellers gained access to improved sanitation. However, the urban population in that period grew by 1089 million people and thus undermined the progress.
  • 497 million people in cities rely on shared sanitation. In 1990, this number was 249 million.

The above map shows the proportion of urban population living in slum households.

Reference(s): Millennium Development Goals Indicators Slum population as percentage of urban

The above map shows the urban population living in slum households.

Reference(s): Millennium Development Goals Indicators Slum population in urban areas

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using open defecation (when human faeces are disposed of in fields, forests, bushes, open bodies of water, beaches or other open spaces or disposed of with solid waste).

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using unimproved sanitation facilities (do not ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact. Unimproved facilities include pit latrines without a slab or platform, hanging latrines and bucket latrines).

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using shared sanitation facilities (Sanitation facilities of an otherwise acceptable type shared between two or more households. Only facilities that are not shared or not public are considered improved).

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using improved sanitation facilities( ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact. They are use of the following facilities: 'Flush/pour flush to: piped sewer system, septic tank, pit latrine', Ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine, Pit latrine with slab, Composting toilet)

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

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  • 27% of the urban population in the developing world do not have access to piped water at home.
  • Globally, 96% of the urban world today uses improved drinking water resources.
  • Between 1998 and 2008, 1052 million urban dwellers gained access to improved drinking water. However, the urban population in that period grew by 1089 million people and thus undermined the progress.

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using unimproved drinking-water ( sources: Unprotected dug well, unprotected spring, cart with small tank/drum, surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, canal, irrigation channels), and bottled water).

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using piped water on premises (Piped household water connection located inside the user’s dwelling, plot or yard).

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using other improved drinking-water (sources: Public taps or standpipes, tube wells or boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs or rainwater collection).

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

The above map shows the proportion of urban population using total improved drinking-water sources ('urban population using piped water on premises' + 'urban population using other improved drinking-water')

Reference(s): Progress on sanitation and drinking-water – 2010 update,World Health Organization and UNICEF

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  • Unmanaged wastewater is a vector of disease; At least 1.8 million children under five years die every year due to water related disease, or 1 every 20 seconds
  • Contaminated drinking water results in cholera epidemics, faecal-oral diseases such as diarrhoea, and outbreaks of malaria. While malaria was often considered a rural disease, it is now among the main causes of illness and death in many urban areas.
  • WHO estimates that worldwide some 2.2 million people die each year from diarrhoeal disease, 3.7% of all deaths and at any one time over half of the world’s hospitals beds are filled with people suffering from water related diseases.

The above map shows the number of water, sanitation and hygiene attributable deaths in children under 5 years.

Reference(s): Mortality and burden of disease attributable to water, sanitation and hygiene Global Health Observatory Database – World Health Organization

The above map shows water, sanitation and hygiene attributable deaths per 100,000 children under 5 years.

Reference(s): Mortality and burden of disease attributable to water, sanitation and hygiene Global Health Observatory Database – World Health Organization

The above map shows the number of water, sanitation and hygiene attributable deaths.

Reference(s): Mortality and burden of disease attributable to water, sanitation and hygiene Global Health Observatory Database – World Health Organization

The above map shows water, sanitation and hygiene attributable deaths per 100,000 capita.

Reference(s): Mortality and burden of disease attributable to water, sanitation and hygiene Global Health Observatory Database – World Health Organization

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  • The urban poor pay up to 50 times more for a litre of water than their richer neighbours, since they often have to buy their water from private vendors.
  • Many believe we'd conserve more if water rates were highter–and the cost is generally rising around the world; The question remains how to make clean water affordable for the poorest citizens???

The above map shows water cost to a consumer by municipality (per 100 gallons, based on roughly 4,000 gallons a month usage, U.S. dollars, 2009).

Reference(s): The Water Issue – April 2010. vol.217. No.4, National Geographic Magazine

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Additional References:
UNEP, UN-HABITAT. 2010. Sick Water? The role of waste water management in sustainable development. A rapid response assessment. UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Water and Cities – Facts and Figures United Nations publications
The Water Issue – April 2010. vol.217. No.4, National Geographic Magazine
Water and Cities – Facts and Figures – A Snapshot United Nations publications

Created for World Water Day 2011