ABOUT 800 MILLION people worldwide lack access to clean water, a deficiency that kills 3 million a year. Even still, we here in the U.S. are too damn lazy to drink enough of it—hello, first-world problem!
Check out what parts of the world need it, who’s wasting it, and who’s doing a great job of keeping it flowing for the rest of us.
Central Africa can’t afford it
Central African villages may have clean water nearby but not enough money to build a way to consistently deliver it.
North China has outgrown it
This area has a local population so large, it simply needs more usable water than can be found nearby.
Climate change is obsoleting it
A warming climate brings less snow to melt into rivers and streams, and faster evaporation, so rain can’t replenish reserves.