HEALTH EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION

Abstract

Water is an essential resource for human life. According to the 2021 World Water Development Report released by UNESCO, global consumption of freshwater has increased six fold over the past 100 years and has been increasing by about 1% annually since the 1980s. Water quality is facing serious challenges due to increasing water consumption. Industrialization, agricultural production and urban life have led to environmental degradation and pollution, adversely affecting life-sustaining water resources (rivers and oceans), ultimately affecting human health and sustainable social development. Globally, approximately 80% of industrial and municipal wastewater is released into the environment without any pretreatment and it is adversely affecting human health as well as ecosystems. This ratio is higher in less developed countries, where sanitation and sewage treatment facilities are largely lacking.