Water and sanitation
In the WHO European Region, 19 million people do not have access to a source of drinking-water that is adequately protected, and about 100 million people still lack access to piped water in their homes. While access has generally increased in the last decade, there are notable disparities between rural and urban areas, especially in the Caucasus and central Asia, where only half of the rural population enjoys the use of piped water on premises. More than 66 million people in the Region still lack access to adequate sanitation facilities.
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- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and WHO/Europe launch first analytical tool to measure disparities in access to water and sanitation
- National assessment of sanitation and drinking water in Georgia contributes to global initiative
- Visualizing the economic and health benefits of environmental measures: a winning combination
Protocol on Water and Health
The Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes is the first major international legal approach for the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases in Europe.
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The development of water safety plans by water utilities is one of the recommendations of the latest WHO drinking-water quality guidelines. WHO/Europe supports the national implementation of recommendations from the guidelines by assisting countries in developing water safety plans and by carrying out assessments against recommendations.
Ensuring drinking-water safety through water safety plansPublications
Extreme weather events, including floods and droughts, are increasing in frequency and intensity. They affect the operation of water-supply, drainage and sewerage infrastructure, and the functioning of wastewater treatment plants, thereby affecting the protection of public health.
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