A different perspective on progress DRINKING WATER 21 The drinking water ladder Drinking water supply can be broken down Unimproved drinking water sources: into three categories, which are illustrated in VED Unprotected dug well, unprotected spring, the form of a ‘drinking water ladder’ similar to O cart with small tank/drum, tanker truck, and that developed for sanitation. The category surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, ‘improved drinking water sources’ includes MPR I canal, irrigation channels), bottled water. sources that, by nature of their construction N or through active intervention, are protected U from outside contamination, particularly faecal matter. These include piped water in a dwelling, plot or yard, and other improved sources. ‘Unimproved sources’ make up the third part of the ladder. In this report, drinking water coverage is Other improved drinking water sources: presented as a three-step ladder that includes VED Public taps or standpipes, tube wells or O the proportion of the population using: THER boreholes, protected dug wells, protected • unimproved drinking water sources O MPR springs and rainwater collection. • improved drinking water sources other I than piped water • water piped into a dwelling, plot or yard. Piped water on premises: Piped household water connection located inside the user’s dwelling, plot or yard. R YARD R O T lo , P G N lli E W D O NT I PED Pi 22 Global drinking water coverage, 1990-2006 The population not using improved drinking water sources Figure 19 has fallen below one billion 13 Proportion of 89 Today, 87 per cent of the world’s population uses drinking water from the world’s improved sources: 54 per cent uses a piped connection in their dwelling, population plot or yard, and 33 per cent uses other improved drinking water sources. using a piped 33 drinking water This translates into 5.7 billion people worldwide who are now using connection, ) drinking water from an improved source, an increase of 1.6 billion since (% another 1990. About 3.6 billion people use a piped connection that provides ge improved ra running water in or near their homes. drinking water ve source or an Co Estimates for 2006 show that the population reliant on unimproved unimproved target MDG drinking water sources is below one billion, and now stands at 884 million. source, 2006 54 Improved drinking water coverage in sub-Saharan Africa is still considerably lower than in other regions. Nevertheless, it has increased from 49 per cent in 1990 to 58 per cent in 2006, which means that an additional 207 million Africans are now using safe drinking water. Improved drinking water coverage, according to the MDG indicator DRINKING WATER SUPPLY COVERAGE Coverage is improving in all regions*Piped water on premises Other improved PipedUnimproved water on premises Other improved Unimproved 2 1 2 1 7 6 8 8 7 6 10 8 8 10 7 6 7 6 12 12 1213 12 13 13 13 16 14 16 1414 16 14 16 23 26 23 12 12 27 29 26 27 14 10 32 14 10 29 22 21 22 21 32 17 15 17 42 15 42 17 17 30 30 51 51 33 33 38 38 29 29 17 17 54 54 65 35 65 35 54 54 93 57 91 57 91 93 80 80 78 80 78 80 73 73 73 42 42 71 69 71 73 67 67 69 33 33 58 58 54 54 51 51 48 48 32 46 32 46 22 36 22 36 20 20 16 16 16 16 16 16 1990 2006 1990 2006 1990 2006 1990 1990 2006 20061990 1990 2006 19902006 1990 2006 1990 2006 1990 2006 1990 2006 20061990 200619901990 200 6 200619901990 2006 200619901990 2006 2006 1990 2006 1990 2006 1990 2006 Common- Latin America Northern WesternCommon-EasternLatin AmericaSouthern Northern South-easter Westernn Sub-SaharanEastern DevelopingSouthern DevelopedSouth-eastern WorldSub-Saharan Developing Developed World wealth of & Caribbean Africa Asia wealth of Asia& Caribbean Asia Africa Asia Asia Africa Asia regionsAsia regionsAsia Africa regions regions Independent Independent States States Figure 20 Trends in the proportion of the population using a piped water connection, other improved drinking water sources or an unimproved source, by MDG region in 1990 and 2006 *Oceania is not included due to lack of complete data. 23 Progress towards the drinking water target The world is on track to meet the drinking water target 87 per cent of the world’s population uses The world is on track to meet the MDG drinking an improved drinking water source water target. Current trends suggest that more than 90 per cent of the global population will use 20 +20 improved drinking water sources by 2015. +13 +13 +13 15 +10 10 +8 +9 +4 +4 5 +1 +1 All regions report gains, 0 -5 -1 except Oceania 99 100 94 92 92 90 88 Eighty-seven per cent of the global population 87 86 84 87 now uses improved drinking water sources, 80 compared to 77 per cent in 1990. Gains were made in all regions except Oceania, where 60 58 drinking water coverage slipped back slightly. 50 Eastern Asia stands out for increasing its drinking 40 water coverage by 20 percentage points, which Coverage (%) represents 416 million people who have gained access to improved water sources since 1990. 20 Sub-Saharan Africa is making 0 the slowest progress & World Oceania Population forecasts suggest that an additional Caribbean Eastern Asia Western Asia 784 million people worldwide will need to gain Southern Asia Northern Africa Latin America Developed regions Commonwealth of South-eastern Asia Sub-Saharan Africa access to improved drinking water sources to Developing regions Independent States meet the MDG target. Accelerated progress is needed especially in sub-Saharan Africa, home Figure 21 Improved drinking water coverage, by region in to more than a third of those using unimproved 2006 and percentage-point change 1990-2006 drinking water sources. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa face the greatest challenges in drinking water Less than 50% 50% - 75% 76% - 90% 91% - 100% No or insufficient data Figure 22 Drinking water coverage, 2006 24 Progress towards the drinking water target Trends indicate that most countries are on track to meet the MDG drinking water target, except in sub-Saharan Africa On track Not on track Coverage in 2006 was less than 5 per cent below the rate it Coverage in 2006 was more than 10 per cent below the needed to be for the country to reach the MDG target, or rate it needed to be for the country to reach the MDG coverage was higher than 95% target, or the 1990-2006 trend shows unchanged or de- creasing coverage Progress but insufficient Coverage in 2006 was 5 per cent to 10 per cent below the No or insufficient data rate it needed to be for the country to reach the MDG target Data were unavailable or insufficient to estimate trends Figure 23 Progress towards the MDG drinking water target, 2006 Table 8 Regional and global progress towards the MDG drinking water target Drinking water Coverage needed to be MDG target Region coverage (%) Progress on track in 2006 (%) coverage (%) 1990 2006 Commonwealth of Independent States 93 94 95 97 On track Northern Africa 88 92 92 94 On track Latin America & Caribbean 84 92 89 92 On track Western Asia 86 90 90 93 On track Eastern Asia 68 88 78 84 On track Southern Asia 74 87 82 87 On track South-eastern Asia 73 86 82 87 On track Developing regions 71 84 80 86 On track Developed regions 98 99 99 99 On track World 77 87 84 89 On track Sub-Saharan Africa 49 58 65 75 Not on track Oceania 51 50 67 76 Not on track 25 Urban-rural disparities in drinking water coverage The MDG target for water and sanitation requires that indicators to measure progress be disaggregated % 99 98 100 100 97 96 95 95 97 96 by urban and rural populations. This 92 91 94 report therefore highlights urban 86 87 84 80 81 80 81 81 78 and rural disparities, which would 73 76 otherwise be masked by aggregate figures. 60 46 Rural access to improved 40 37 drinking water sources remains low 20 The world’s rural inhabitants represent 84 per cent of the 0 population using unimproved & World sources of drinking water. An Oceania Caribbean estimated 746 million rural dwellers Eastern Asia Western Asia Southern Asia Northern Africa are without improved drinking Latin America Developed regions Commonwealth of South-eastern Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Developing regions water supplies, compared to 137 Independent States million urban residents. That said, Urban Rural there is some positive news: 717 3.5 million rural inhabitants have gained Figure 24 Urban and rural water supply coverage, 2006 access to safe drinking water since 3.0 1990. 2.5 2.0 Urban coverage is struggling to keep pace with population1.5 growth While the rural challenge remains significant, the urban challenge is growing fast. 1.0 Since 1990, the world’s urban population has risen by 956 million people.Population (billions) During that period, 926 million urban dwellers gained access to improved drinking0.5 water sources. At the same time, the urban population without improved drinking0.0 water sources increased from 107 million to 137 million. Most of this increase took1990 place Urban 2006 in urban areas of the developing world. Improved Unimproved 137 million people in urban areas do not use 746 million people in rural areas do not use an improved source of drinking water an improved source of drinking water 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.0 1.0 Population (billions) 0.5 Population (billions) 0.5 0.0 0.0 Rural 1990 Urban 2006 1990 2006 Improved Unimproved Improved Unimproved Figure 25 Trends in urban drinking water Figure 26 Trends in rural drinking water coverage coverage by population, 1990-2006 by population, 1990-2006 26 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 Population (billions) 0.5 0.0 1990 Rural 2006 Improved Unimproved Urban-rural disparities in drinking water coverage Urban-rural disparities in the use of improved drinking water sources are highest in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa Less than 50% 50% - 75% 76% - 90% 91% - 100% No or insufficient data Figure 27 Coverage of improved drinking water sources in urban areas, 2006 Less than 50% 50% - 75% 76% - 90% 91% - 100% No or insufficient data Figure 28 Coverage of improved drinking water sources in rural areas, 2006 27 Piped water on premises S Piped water on premises: E Piped connections into a dwelling, IS plot or yard.