ABSTRACT

Water is essential for biological life. In addition, access to safe drinking water and water for agricultural, industrial and household purposes is fundamental for human society as well as for people’s livelihood, health and well-being. The World Bank estimates that more than 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water for drinking, personal hygiene and domestic use, and about 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation. Many rivers and watersheds are polluted by industrial, agricultural, and human waste products, while others are drying up because of overuse.