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Water and Sanitation

International Year of Sanitation: A Royal Flush?

Over 2.6 billion people do not have adequate toilets, sewers, or latrines. This is blocking up progress on other development goals, including education, gender equality, and public health. The UN has made 2008 the International Year of Sanitation to speed up progress. See what is at stake - and what can be won.

Allianz Interview

"The True Value of Water"

Water consumption is increasing twice as fast as the number of people consuming it. Allianz expert Andreas Fruschki explains how to profit from this growth while improving water supply and quality.

More Water Content

Flood Gallery

Floods - The Most Frequent Disaster Worldwide

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What We Do

Insurance Industry Braces for a Stormier World

More and more people are living in catastrophe prone regions. Cat bonds can help mitigate some of the risks of floods and other disasters.

Receding Glaciers

Glacier Melt: “A Very Big Disaster for India”

Himalayan glaciers have receded massively in recent years, causing major floods. Shiva Shankar fears the next step: water shortages in northern India.

Water Facts

  • Only about 3% of surface water is fresh water.
  • Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, but one fifth of the world’s population lacks access to clean drinking water.
  • The Earth's oceans are the most important carbon sink on the planet along with rainforests.
  • Floods are the most frequent disaster worldwide.
  • Waterborne diseases affect about four billion people every year.

Quiz

Highest Water Use

Which country has the highest average water use per capita in the world?

 

Water Conflicts

Fight or Flight

The spectre of international water wars is often raised as a potential result of water scarcity. But how real is the threat?