Water for everyone is a right, because without this resource, our life (and that of all other living beings) is not possible. There are still people, however, who do not have water available. According to studies by the United Nations , one billion people in the world do not have a sufficient supply of water . In Brazil, there are almost 35 million people who do not have access to this basic service.

The reasons for this are varied, such as unrestrained population growth, pollution of water sources, overexploitation of groundwater and forest degradation. There are, however, ways to reduce the impact of these actions on nature and ensure quality water for the entire population.

The democratization of access to this good involves initiatives that promote the conscientious consumption of water , improvements in garbage collection and sewage, among other points. For this, the involvement of the entire population is necessary. Want to learn more about this topic and see how you can contribute? Continue reading this post!

How does access to water work in Brazil? According to the Instituto Trata Brasil , around 83% of the Brazilian population is supplied with treated water . Despite being a high percentage, the other 17% represents more than 30 million people. Of these, approximately 14% are children and adolescents.

There are regions that suffer more than others from this issue — the North and Northeast of Brazil, according to data from the National Basic Sanitation Survey . In the North, more than half of the households do not have access to the general supply network. This information even sounds contradictory, since it is in this region that one of the largest hydrographic basins in the world is found: the Amazon.

In the Northeast, the situation is a little better, but it still affects more than 30% of the population. Reality is critical in regions such as the semiarid and the sertão, which suffer from the lack of rain and depend on cisterns and water trucks.

One of the alternatives used by the population in regions without access to water supply is the drilling of wells. However, although they are often the only option, it is necessary to frequently monitor the quality of the water collected to identify possible changes and contaminations.

This is critical, as contaminated water can cause many health problems , from diarrhea to hepatitis A. These are common diseases that, if not treated properly, can lead to death. Diarrhea, for example, is the third most common cause of death in children up to 5 years of age .

How to guarantee water for everyone? Universalizing access to drinking water is one of the goals of the National Basic Sanitation Plan (Plansab), which should be achieved by 2033. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to make this happen.

In 2017, Brazil invested R$ 6 billion in basic sanitation . To meet the proposed objectives, it would be necessary to invest R$ 21.6 billion annually , that is, more than quadrupling the budget. The current situation is the opposite of what should happen: investment is being reduced due to the financial crisis facing the country.

Democratization is not just about investing in infrastructure, but about ensuring seamless supply — which does not always happen, due to the lack of maintenance and replacement of old pipes and water losses, which represent 37% of the water distributed in Brazil .

In this way, guaranteeing access to water for all Brazilians is a difficult task, which could be made possible with several action fronts. Investments in sanitation in the proportion that the country needs, whether by public or private companies, would have a major impact on water distribution — both for expanding access for populations in need of care and for improving service delivery and ensuring supply continuous and quality.

Are there any initiatives to promote water democratization? The future of water in Brazil and in the world depends on initiatives that promote not only its democratization, but the preservation of this natural resource. BRK Ambiental is a supporter of WIL Brasil by Waterlution , a program that encourages innovation by young water leaders. At WIL Brasil Nordeste 2019, two groups formed by the participants were selected by the company to receive seed resources and develop their projects in 2020.

Another program that has had a great impact on the lives of thousands of people from the Northeast is the Brazilian Semi-Arid Articulation (ASA) . This is a network formed water purification companies by more than three thousand civil society organizations, whose main banner is the defense of the right to water. In this context, they have already promoted several projects for the democratization of this natural resource, such as the One Million Cisterns Program .

The Coca-Cola Brazil Institute has the Água+Acesso program . It promotes an alliance with organizations that work with access to drinking water, whether they are Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or other companies.

What are the benefits that universal sanitation can generate? In addition to the benefits for the health of the population, the universalization of basic sanitation services can generate impacts in several areas, including the Brazilian economy.

Some advantages of investing in sanitation are:

improved quality of life; increase in the human development index ; preservation of the environment; stimulus to tourism; job generation. See how important it is to bring water for everyone? In addition to always making conscientious water consumption, a good way to help ensure its democratization is by supporting or participating in social projects that promote actions for this purpose . Thus, you engage in a cause that can transform many aspects of people's lives.