About 4.4 billion people around the world lack access to safe drinking water, according to a new study released on Thursday.
The figure is nearly double previous estimates by the World Health Organisation, according to the study published in the scientific journal Science.
Swiss scientists used computer modelling to estimate the level of access to water in different regions. The study analysed water access data collected from 64,723 households from 27 low- and middle-income countries between 2016 and 2020. The surveys investigated the conditions of the water supply, including its protection from chemical and faecal contamination.
The collected data was applied in machine learning algorithms, which were then augmented with global geospatial data such as climatic conditions, topography, hydrology and population density. Using this model, the researchers drew conclusions about water access in other countries with similar characteristics.
The analysis showed that sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and East Asia have the greatest problems with access to safe water. In these regions, bacterial and chemical contamination and lack of infrastructure remain major problems. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, about 650 million people do not have access to drinking water directly in or near their homes.
Although the study did not focus on high-income countries, the researchers recognise that there may be populations with limited access to clean water in these regions as well.
