Occurrence and use of water

Occurrence of water

Approximately 95 percent of the earth is covered with water. Around 98 percent of the water is found in a fluid state, ca. 1,8 percent is solid and 0,001 gaseous.

Oceans form the largest proportion. Salty sea water forms approximately 97 percent of water on earth.

Only around 1 percent is available as drinking water (drinking water produced using ground water and surface water). Most sweet water is retained as ice at the poles, in the form of glaciers and permafrost and can consequently not be used.

Seen globally, drinking water is still a precious good.

Beginning with the first people that settled in ancient times, and continuing through the Middle Ages until modern times, people have always been vulnerable to lack of water (drought) and excess of water (floods).

The water rights were one of the first legal forms created as agriculture and stock-breeding became more widespread. The development had made it necessary to control access to water and the distribution of it.

World Water Day

On December 22nd 1992, the 47. plenary meeting of the United Nations declared that “World Water Day” should be celebrated annually on the 22nd of March.

World Water Day shall encourage the preservation of water resources and create awareness to do so amongst the public.

Member countries of the UN draw attention to a certain main theme through campaigns and activities. In 2008 World Water Day will highlight issues on sanitation.

Organisations involved in water management are supposed to encourage the sustainable usage of water. Schools and other educational institutions shall support a forward-looking use of water through project days or activities.

Competitive water usage world wide

Sadly, a sufficient supply of drinking water is not a matter of course.

Nearly half of humanity does not have enough water at its disposal. Two thirds of mankind could suffer from acute lack of water in 2050. Even in several European cities and regions water scarcity is an issue every year.

World wide, approximately 1,1 billion people do not have assured access to a water source, a well or a conduit system. Every 8 seconds a child dies as a result of contaminated water. Every year, it kills 5,3 million people, makes 3,3 billion people ill and causes 6 million people to go blind.
In Europe, Belgium has the lowest water usage (household usage including small trades/ 2004).

Of 127 litres of drinking water, approximately 123 litres are fed into the canalisation, dirtied with cleaning detergents, washing powder and care products for personal hygiene.

The amount of water used by different individuals can differ greatly. In a test, in which a large amount of dishes were washed (approximately 160 pieces), individuals used between 14 and 447 litres of water, depending on the cleaning method opted for.

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