ABSTRACT
Four of every ten people in the world do not have access to even a simple pit latrine; and nearly two in ten have no source of safe drinking water. This silent humanitarian crisis kills some 3,900 children every day; thwarts progress toward all the Millennium Development Goals, especially in Africa and Asia; and robs the poorest—particularly women and girls—of their health, time, and dignity. Water supply and sanitation services, as well as water as a resource, are critical to sustainable development—from environmental protection and food security to increased tourism and investment, from the empowerment of women and the education of girls to reductions in productivity losses due to morbidity and malnutrition.
