Canada is blessed with nine percent of the world's renewable water supply. This to service only one-half percent of the world's population. As a result, water issues here relate more to short-term usage, rather than water scarcity. Regardless, our abundance should not blind us to global problems nor prompt reckless usage. It is estimated that nearly one-third of the world's inhabitants live in countries with severe water problems.
Many people live without clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.
The 1980s was the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade. And during this period, we saw significant advances. Progress in the 1980s was characterized by reduced costs and gains in efficiency . This resulted from improved management practices, the use of appropriate, low-cost technologies and the integration of supply and waste management systems. Regardless, the Decade's goal of universal coverage remains unrealized.