People living in northeastern Ohio and along the shores of Lake Erie have heard talks about how the local water bodies are polluted, serious, and unsafe to swim in as they grow up. This area is considered to be one of the most severely polluted rivers in the United States for many years. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught fire after dumping sewage and industrial chemicals into Lake Erie, which led to the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many people swim in Lake Erie or similar waters throughout their lives. Most of the drinking water around my hometown comes from lakes.

In 2018, due to years of “zero-day” droughts that depleted its reservoirs, Cape Town, South Africa’s second most populous city, almost ran out of water. Since then, researchers at Stanford University have determined that climate change has increased the likelihood of such extreme droughts by 5 to 6 times and warned that more zero-day events may occur in areas with similar climates in the future.

According to United Nations data, nearly half of the world’s population lives in potentially water-scarce areas for at least one month each year, which may increase to between 4.8 billion and 5.7 billion by 2050, and 30% of the world’s water extraction will be lost through the water supply system. Τhese systems are mostly obsolete and require more private investment.

80% of the world’s wastewater is discharged into the environment without prior treatment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans, causing nearly 1 million deaths each year from water-related diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, hepatitis, and typhoid fever.

Washing hands with soap is a basic part of a healthy school environment.

Good hygiene helps to ensure the health of children so they can attend classes and study. The availability of handwashing stations and menstrual sanitation facilities (including soap and water) also help girls manage their own hygiene. If girls are absent from school due to inadequate sanitation facilities during menstruation, their education will be interrupted, leading to reduced academic performance, delayed social development and reduced future income potential.