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Access to safe water is essential for life itself. Sadly, more
than 1.1 billion people (one sixth of the world's population) rely
on unsafe water from rivers, lakes and open wells to meet their
daily household needs. Every year, infectious diarrhea spread by
contaminated water kills nearly two million people, mostly children
under five years old.
At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the global
community committed to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without
access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
To help achieve these critical goals, the World Chlorine Council
(WCC) and its member organizations have long worked collaboratively
with governmental and non-governmental organizations to support
sustainable water initiatives. These projects employ cost-effective
chlorine-based materials, including disinfectants and PVC pipe,
to help prevent diseases, improve quality of life and promote sustainable
development around the globe.
Currently, WCC's Safe Water Partnerships include three programs:
- WAWI - West Africa Water Initiative
- WAWI is a multi-partner alliance focused on sustainable
water supply and water resources management in Ghana, Mali and
Niger. WCC is donating PVC pipe and other materials for water
supply projects.
- International Network to Promote
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage - The World
Health Organization (WHO) leads a growing group of organizations,
including the WCC, to promote point-of-use disinfection in homes
and safe storage to improve drinking water quality at the household
level.
- Disaster Relief -
In the wake of flooding or other natural disasters, providing
access to safe drinking water is critical to reducing the risk
of outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
WCC members have a long standing partnership the American Red
Cross to help meet this critical need.
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