# data[].attributes.body
freshThere are two kinds of fresh water standing bodies of fresh water, such as lakes, ponds and inland wetlands and floating bodies of water , such as streams and rivers.

# data[].attributes.body
Every 90 seconds I kid dies from not clean water

https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/

# data[].attributes.body
844 millon people don’t have access to clean water
https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/

# data[].attributes.body
1 in 3 people on the planet don't have a decent toilet.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-water-developing-worldAlmost 2 in 3 people who need safe drinking water survive on less than $2 a day.

# data[].attributes.body
By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world’s population living in water-stressed regions.

# data[].attributes.body
Eritrea and Ethiopia are a good example that sanitation is not only down to environmental factors, but also to whether governments are willing to invest time and resources into making change happen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Around the world, 946 million people still go to the toilet outside. Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid. A huge global effort has been focused on reducing these numbers and new data from the WHO/Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme, which has measured the progress made on access to drinking water and sanitation since 1990, shows that there have been improvements in certain areas.

Eritrea's neighbour Ethiopia has achieved the largest decrease in the proportion of the population practising open defecation, from 92% in 1990 to 29% in 2015.

"Ethiopia has made a concerted effort to reduce open defecation rates over the past five years," says Tim Brewer, Wateraid's policy analyst on monitoring and accountability. "The government came up with a plan of action to get everyone in the country to stop practising open defecation, and made sure that donors contributing to the sanitation sector also followed the same plan. This hasn't been the case in Eritrea, where there has been conflict."

Brewer says the two countries are a good example that sanitation is not only down to environmental factors, but also to whether governments are willing to invest time and resources into making change happen.

Nine in 10 people who practice open defecation live in rural areas. But at the current rates of reduction it is estimated that open defecation will not be eliminated among the poorest in rural areas by 2030 - one of the targets of the sustainable development goals.

How many people around the world have access to improved sanitation facilities?

Among the world's city-dwellers, 82% of people now use an improved sanitation facility, defined as one that hygienically separates human waste from human contact. Only 51% of the global rural population has access to such facilities.

Globally it is estimated that 2.4 billion people still lack improved sanitation. They live primarily in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. In sub-Saharan Africa rapid population growth matched by insufficient progress means that numbers without access to sanitation have increased since 1990 to 17% of the population.

Which countries met the millennium development goal on sanitation?

It is not surprising, then, that the MDG target to extend access to improved sanitation from 54% of the global population in 2000 to 77% in 2015 has not been met. The target has been missed by almost 700 million people, and 57 countries made "no or limited" progress. Only four developing regions met the target: the Caucasus and central Asia, eastern Asia, northern Africa, and western Asia.

How many people around the world have access to an improved source of drinking water?

Better progress has been made on improving access to water: 91% of the global population uses an improved water source - one that protects water from external contamination - up from 76% in 1990. The number of people who lack access to an improved source of drinking water has fallen below 700 million people - to 663 million - for the first time.

As with sanitation, progress in rural areas trails behind urban areas: eight out of 10 people without improved drinking water sources live in rural areas. In sub-Saharan Africa, while 427 million people gained access during the MDG period, 319 million people still do not have access to clean water, the most of any region.

Which countries met the millennium development goal on water?

So why has there been such a disparity between achieving the MDGs on water and sanitation?

"They should be done hand-in-hand but historically all the effort has gone into water, and sanitation has taken a bit longer to be prioritised," says Brewer. "Combined, UK aid flows to water and sanitation make of 2% of the money donated, but most goes to water. It's also easier for a politician to stand in front of a water well for a photo than a latrine."

The overall picture is mixed, he adds. "It's good that the water goal has been met; millions of people have been reached with access to water and sanitation since 1990, and some countries have made great progress," says Brewer. "But in general, most of the people who have access to water don't have access at home. And is it safe? Is the water affordable and enough for their needs? And again, the poorest countries and the poorest people are being left behind; sub-Saharan African and South Asia are really behind. We need to focus on those people and contribute to making progress in those areas."
Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to clean water and sanitation around the world - mapped

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around the world, 946 million people still go to the toilet outside. Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid.

# data[].attributes.body
89% of the global population used at least a basic service. A basic service is an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes to collect water. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs391/en/

# data[].attributes.body
70% of the world is covered in salt water. This makes salt water ecosystems the largest on earth.
It is estimated that almost 50% of all known species on earth are supported by salt water ecosystems. It is believed that there may be millions more species in the oceans that have not yet been discovered.
Salt water provides almost half of the oxygen on the planet. Salt water ecosystems take carbon and turn it into oxygen.

# data[].attributes.body
Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Around the world, 946 million people still go to the toilet outside. Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid. A huge global effort has been focused on reducing these numbers and new data from the WHO/Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme, which has measured the progress made on access to drinking water and sanitation since 1990, shows that there have been improvements in certain areas.

Eritrea's neighbour Ethiopia has achieved the largest decrease in the proportion of the population practising open defecation, from 92% in 1990 to 29% in 2015.

"Ethiopia has made a concerted effort to reduce open defecation rates over the past five years," says Tim Brewer, Wateraid's policy analyst on monitoring and accountability. "The government came up with a plan of action to get everyone in the country to stop practising open defecation, and made sure that donors contributing to the sanitation sector also followed the same plan. This hasn't been the case in Eritrea, where there has been conflict."

Brewer says the two countries are a good example that sanitation is not only down to environmental factors, but also to whether governments are willing to invest time and resources into making change happen.

Nine in 10 people who practice open defecation live in rural areas. But at the current rates of reduction it is estimated that open defecation will not be eliminated among the poorest in rural areas by 2030 - one of the targets of the sustainable development goals.

How many people around the world have access to improved sanitation facilities?

Among the world's city-dwellers, 82% of people now use an improved sanitation facility, defined as one that hygienically separates human waste from human contact. Only 51% of the global rural population has access to such facilities.

Globally it is estimated that 2.4 billion people still lack improved sanitation. They live primarily in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. In sub-Saharan Africa rapid population growth matched by insufficient progress means that numbers without access to sanitation have increased since 1990 to 17% of the population.

Which countries met the millennium development goal on sanitation?

It is not surprising, then, that the MDG target to extend access to improved sanitation from 54% of the global population in 2000 to 77% in 2015 has not been met. The target has been missed by almost 700 million people, and 57 countries made "no or limited" progress. Only four developing regions met the target: the Caucasus and central Asia, eastern Asia, northern Africa, and western Asia.

How many people around the world have access to an improved source of drinking water?

Better progress has been made on improving access to water: 91% of the global population uses an improved water source - one that protects water from external contamination - up from 76% in 1990. The number of people who lack access to an improved source of drinking water has fallen below 700 million people - to 663 million - for the first time.

As with sanitation, progress in rural areas trails behind urban areas: eight out of 10 people without improved drinking water sources live in rural areas. In sub-Saharan Africa, while 427 million people gained access during the MDG period, 319 million people still do not have access to clean water, the most of any region.

Which countries met the millennium development goal on water?

So why has there been such a disparity between achieving the MDGs on water and sanitation?

"They should be done hand-in-hand but historically all the effort has gone into water, and sanitation has taken a bit longer to be prioritised," says Brewer. "Combined, UK aid flows to water and sanitation make of 2% of the money donated, but most goes to water. It's also easier for a politician to stand in front of a water well for a photo than a latrine."

The overall picture is mixed, he adds. "It's good that the water goal has been met; millions of people have been reached with access to water and sanitation since 1990, and some countries have made great progress," says Brewer. "But in general, most of the people who have access to water don't have access at home. And is it safe? Is the water affordable and enough for their needs? And again, the poorest countries and the poorest people are being left behind; sub-Saharan African and South Asia are really behind. We need to focus on those people and contribute to making progress in those areas."
Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to clean water and sanitation around the world - mapped

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around the world, 946 million people still go to the toilet outside. Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid.

# data[].attributes.body
The water crisis is a health crisis. Access to safe water and sanitation means opportunity for improved health and the ability to help fight disease. Access to safe water means improved health for women and girls who no longer have to delay finding a place to go.

https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/

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Access to Clean Water

# data[].attributes.body
Freshwater vs Saltwater
3) Saltwater covers 71% of the Earth while Freshwater covers 1% and 41% of aquatic animals live in Freshwater. And only 1% of the Freshwater is easily accessible
su ot

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Food-Info.net : What is the difference between salt water and freshwater?

# data[].attributes.body
Access to Clean Water

# data[].attributes.body
Children are often responsible for collecting water to help their families. This takes time away from school and play. Access to safe water and sanitation changes this. Reductions in time spent collecting water have been found to increase school attendance. Access to safe water gives children time to play and opportunity for a bright future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
97% of the water on earth is salt water located in oceans, seas, salt water lakes, bays and other salt water bodies, the other 3% is fresh water which we can live on

# data[].attributes.body
Water is distributed across earth. Most water in the Earth's atmosphere and crust comes from the world ocean's saline seawater, while freshwater accounts for only 2.5% of the total. Because the oceans that cover roughly 78% of the area of the Earth. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_distribution_on_Earth

# data[].attributes.body
Today, 1 in 9 people lack access to safe water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Time spent gathering water or seeking safe sanitation accounts for billions in lost economic opportunities. Access to safe water and sanitation turns time spent into time saved, giving families more time to pursue education and work opportunities that will help break the cycle of poverty.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
oceans, seas and bays are not fresh water bodies and icecaps and glaciers contain water that humans cannot get access to

# data[].attributes.body
Freshwater vs Saltwater
2) Saltwater and Freshwater are two completely different things. Freshwater turns into Saltwater after the concentration of salt is over 1%.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Food-Info.net : What is the difference between salt water and freshwater?

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.boats.com/on-the-water/fishing-friday-freshwater-vs-saltwater/#.Woxk8CRMGf0http://www.boats.com/on-the-water/fishing-friday-freshwater-vs-saltwater/#.Woxk8CRMGf0 Freshwater is better than saltwater because the bait is more entertaining than the other. The saltwater fish are bigger than the freshwater fish

# data[].attributes.body
76% of the Earth’s freshwater supply is in the polar ice caps.

# data[].attributes.body
Local rivers and streams are unpleasant and polluted and groundwater is not visible because it is located underground.

# data[].attributes.body
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_distribution_on_Earth

# data[].attributes.body
844 million people living without access to safe water

1 million people killed by water, sanitation and hygiene related disease each year

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
1. The average human body is made of 50 to 65 percent water.

2. Newborn babies have even more, ringing in at 78 percent water.

3. Water covers 70.9 percent of the planet’s surface.

# data[].attributes.body
The salinity between salt and fresh water is significant.
Fresh water makes up only about 1% of all the planet’s water bodies.
Salt water can be deadly if a person drinks it.
Salt water offers much more buoyancy than fresh water.
The ecosystems are completely different when it comes to most species of organisms in fresh water and salt water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Salt Water vs Fresh Water
It would be easy to say that the difference between salt water and fresh water is all about whether there is salt in the water. While it makes sense, that's not really accurate. Salinity, or the density of salt, is much higher in salt water, but fresh water is not completely devoid of salt.

The salts that are found in salt water, as well as brackish water (which is a mixture of salt and fresh water), are more diverse than the salt most of us have on our dining room table. The water is composed of various elements, and as those elements break down, they become electrically charged ions. These particles are better electricity conductors. This means that electricity flows through salt water more readily and efficiently than it does through fresh water.

True fresh water bodies are much rarer than salt water bodies. Most of the water in the world contains high enough levels of salt to prevent it from being classified as fresh water.

Salt water is literally dangerous to drink. Being stranded in the middle of the ocean carries a high risk of dehydration, because drinking the salt water will take more liquid from the muscles and blood stream than going without drinking anything at all.

Fresh water lacks the buoyancy of salt water. If you swim in a freshwater lake, you'll find that you will have to work harder to float on the water's surface than you would have to if you tried to float in the ocean. The Dead Sea has such a high salt level that many find it difficult to wade out past their hips, because they start to float!

The ecological differences are interesting. Fish, amphibians, and plants generally can not live in both types of water. Their natural development lends them to their preferred salt content level. Taking a fresh water fish and putting him in a salt water tank is about as effective as leaving him on the beach! He won't be able to survive. There are alligators, however, that have adapted to fresh and salt water environments.

Summary:

1. The salinity between salt and fresh water is significant.

2. Fresh water makes up only about 1% of all the planet's water bodies.

3. Salt water can be deadly if a person drinks it.

4. Salt water offers much more buoyancy than fresh water.

5. The ecosystems are completely different when it comes to most species of organisms in fresh water and salt water.

Email This Post : If you like this article or our site. Please spread the word. Share it with your friends/family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Difference Between Salt Water and Fresh Water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Salt Water vs Fresh Water It would be easy to say that the difference between salt water and fresh water is all about whether there is salt in the water. While it makes sense, that's not really accurate. Salinity, or the density of salt, is much higher in salt water, but fresh water is not completely devoid of salt.

# data[].attributes.body
http://walkforcleanwater.org/the-facts/Almost 1 billion people don’t have access to clean water. That’s almost 1 in 8 people.

# data[].attributes.body
http://horizons.innovateuk.org/assets/cards/images/317/original/infographic-water.png?1458056407

https://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/03/Energy-recovery-desalination-1.jpg

# data[].attributes.body
Today, 1 in 9 people lack access to safe water; 1 in 3 people lack access to a toilet. More people have a mobile phone than a toilet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/mar/17/access-to-drinking-water-world-six-infographics

Since 1990, 2.6 billion people have gained accesses to "improved" drinking water source, one that is designed to protect against contamination.

# data[].attributes.body
97.5% of are water is salt water and 2.5% is fresh water.

# data[].attributes.body
Access to Clean Water
1) it is estimated that Globally 2.4 billion people lack the ability to access Clean Water, they are mostly located in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Around the world, 946 million people still go to the toilet outside. Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid. A huge global effort has been focused on reducing these numbers and new data from the WHO/Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme, which has measured the progress made on access to drinking water and sanitation since 1990, shows that there have been improvements in certain areas.

Eritrea's neighbour Ethiopia has achieved the largest decrease in the proportion of the population practising open defecation, from 92% in 1990 to 29% in 2015.

"Ethiopia has made a concerted effort to reduce open defecation rates over the past five years," says Tim Brewer, Wateraid's policy analyst on monitoring and accountability. "The government came up with a plan of action to get everyone in the country to stop practising open defecation, and made sure that donors contributing to the sanitation sector also followed the same plan. This hasn't been the case in Eritrea, where there has been conflict."

Brewer says the two countries are a good example that sanitation is not only down to environmental factors, but also to whether governments are willing to invest time and resources into making change happen.

Nine in 10 people who practice open defecation live in rural areas. But at the current rates of reduction it is estimated that open defecation will not be eliminated among the poorest in rural areas by 2030 - one of the targets of the sustainable development goals.

How many people around the world have access to improved sanitation facilities?

Among the world's city-dwellers, 82% of people now use an improved sanitation facility, defined as one that hygienically separates human waste from human contact. Only 51% of the global rural population has access to such facilities.

Globally it is estimated that 2.4 billion people still lack improved sanitation. They live primarily in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. In sub-Saharan Africa rapid population growth matched by insufficient progress means that numbers without access to sanitation have increased since 1990 to 17% of the population.

Which countries met the millennium development goal on sanitation?

It is not surprising, then, that the MDG target to extend access to improved sanitation from 54% of the global population in 2000 to 77% in 2015 has not been met. The target has been missed by almost 700 million people, and 57 countries made "no or limited" progress. Only four developing regions met the target: the Caucasus and central Asia, eastern Asia, northern Africa, and western Asia.

How many people around the world have access to an improved source of drinking water?

Better progress has been made on improving access to water: 91% of the global population uses an improved water source - one that protects water from external contamination - up from 76% in 1990. The number of people who lack access to an improved source of drinking water has fallen below 700 million people - to 663 million - for the first time.

As with sanitation, progress in rural areas trails behind urban areas: eight out of 10 people without improved drinking water sources live in rural areas. In sub-Saharan Africa, while 427 million people gained access during the MDG period, 319 million people still do not have access to clean water, the most of any region.

Which countries met the millennium development goal on water?

So why has there been such a disparity between achieving the MDGs on water and sanitation?

"They should be done hand-in-hand but historically all the effort has gone into water, and sanitation has taken a bit longer to be prioritised," says Brewer. "Combined, UK aid flows to water and sanitation make of 2% of the money donated, but most goes to water. It's also easier for a politician to stand in front of a water well for a photo than a latrine."

The overall picture is mixed, he adds. "It's good that the water goal has been met; millions of people have been reached with access to water and sanitation since 1990, and some countries have made great progress," says Brewer. "But in general, most of the people who have access to water don't have access at home. And is it safe? Is the water affordable and enough for their needs? And again, the poorest countries and the poorest people are being left behind; sub-Saharan African and South Asia are really behind. We need to focus on those people and contribute to making progress in those areas."
Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to clean water and sanitation around the world - mapped

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around the world, 946 million people still go to the toilet outside. Eritrea is top of the list, with 77% of its population practising open defecation, a practice which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources, and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, hepatitis A and typhoid.

# data[].attributes.body
https://sciencing.com/four-between-ocean-fresh-water-8519973.htmlhttps://sciencing.com/four-between-ocean-fresh-water-8519973.html said that there are many differences between freshwater and salt water. Some of those are the freezing point, how much salt is in the water, and the tonicity.

# data[].attributes.body
While small amounts of salt water won't hurt someone, relying on it for hydration is a deadly mistake. The body must eliminate salt using more water than can be ingested from salt water. Salt water is too salty for the kidneys to handle, and the body will shut down.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Salt water is water that contains roughly 3.5% salt. It is found in the world's oceans and seas, as well as in smaller amounts in brackish water. Salt content in water can differ within the same body of water. It is less salty where fresh water runoff mixes into the ocean or sea, typically from a river or melting glacier.

# data[].attributes.body
844 people live without access to clean water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Where is Earth's Water?

"Water, Water, Everywhere...."
You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds, on the surface of the Earth in , , , , in living organisms, and inside the Earth in the top few miles of the .

For an estimated explanation of where Earth's water exists, look at this bar chart. You may know that the water cycle describes the movement of Earth's water, so realize that the chart and table below represent the presence of Earth's water at a single point in time. If you check back in a million years, no doubt these numbers will be different!

Left bar: All water, freshwater and , on, in, and above the Earth.

Center bar: All freshwater

Right bar: Only the portion of freshwater residing in surface water (rivers and lakes, etc), snow and ice, and relatively-shallow ground water.

Here is a bar chart showing where all water on, in, and above the Earth exists. The left-side bar chart shows how almost all of Earth's water is saline and is found in the oceans. Of the small amount that is actually freshwater, only a relatively small portion is available to sustain human, plant, and animal life.

In the first bar, notice how only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater - the amount needed for life to survive.

The middle bar shows the breakdown of freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only a little more than 1.2% of all freshwater is surface water, which serves most of life's needs.

The right bar shows the breakdown of surface freshwater. Most of this water is locked up in ice, and another 20.9% is found in lakes. Rivers make up 0.49% of surface freshwater. Although rivers account for only a small amount of freshwater, this is where humans get a large portion of their water.

One estimate of global water distribution Source: Igor Shiklomanov's chapter "World fresh water resources" in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York).
(Percents are rounded, so will not add to 100)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Water, Water, Everywhere...." You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds , on the surface of the Earth in , , , , in living organisms, and inside the Earth in the top few miles of the .

# data[].attributes.body
Out of all of the water on earth, only 2.5% is freshwater, while 97.5% is saltwater. Out of that 2.5%, only 0.3% is in liquid form on the surface. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_distribution_on_Earth