5 CONSEQUENCES OF THE LACK OF
BASIC SANITATION
1 - THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Poor water quality, inadequate waste disposal, poor waste disposal and polluted environments are recurrences of lack of sanitation and crucial factors for disease proliferation.
Consequences of lack of basic sanitation: health risks to the population.
The diseases with the greatest incidence due to exposure to these environments are: Leptospirosis, Bacterial Dysentery, Schistosomiasis, Typhoid Fever, Cholera, Parasitoids, besides aggravation of epidemics such as Dengue.
According to Instituto Trata Brasil, in addition to the high risks involved, this scenario represents high public health expenditures: in 2011, hospitalization expenses for diarrhea in Brazil reached R $ 140 million. Diarrhea, according to Unicef, is the second-leading cause of death in children under five years of age.
WHO data show that 88% of the world's diarrheal deaths are caused by inadequate sanitation. Of these, 84% are children. In Brazil, in 2008, 15 thousand Brazilians died each year due to diseases related to lack of sanitation.
In 2014, the WHO stated that every dollar invested in sanitation saves $ 4.3 invested in global health. The information shows how much health and sanitation are linked. Investing in one, affects the other's spending.
2 - SOCIAL INEQUALITY
In a study conducted by Instituto Trata Brasil in 2016 in the country's 100 largest municipalities, it found that 90% of sewage in irregular areas is neither collected nor treated. In addition, water services do not arrive in these places. Therefore, the water that arrives comes from theft through clandestine connections.
The impacts of this situation are alarming: sewers running in the open, illegal connections in the pipes that contaminate the water and garbage being thrown in inappropriate places. These are scenarios that contribute both to the proliferation of diseases and to social inequality.
In general, irregular areas, with risks of landslides and floods, are excluded from planning, given the technical difficulty of carrying out this service. This creates barriers to the implementation of basic sanitation and commits part of the population to coexist in the face of difficulties and inequalities.
Consequence of lack of basic sanitation: Urban pollution and water resources scenario.
3 - POLLUTION OF WATER RESOURCES
Even with the UN declaring that access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is an essential human right, many people still do not know what it is to have treated water in their homes.
On the periphery, due to restricted access to sanitation, sanitary sewers and household waste are often dumped in rivers without any treatment. On the other hand, industrial growth also contributes to water pollution as many companies circumvent legislation and release industrial waste into the water without, or in part, some treatment.
With this, there is an absurd amount of polluted water. In a study carried out by the NGO SOS Mata Atlântica, in 2016, in 111 Brazilian rivers, it was revealed that almost 24% of the waters are of bad or bad quality. According to the law, water in this situation can not even receive treatment for human consumption or irrigation of crops.
In this context, we have another question: the reduction of available drinking water. Population growth demands more water for consumption. However, the opposite has occurred. Research conducted by UNESCO shows that water consumption increases by twice the rate of population growth.
In this way, the situation is alarming: on the one hand there is the lack of sanitation and pollution of water bodies. On the other, the greater demand for drinking water. What is known is that good planning is needed for both problems. Both to ensure the universalization of sanitation and to preserve the availability of water for human consumption.
4 - URBAN POLLUTION
One of the aspects of basic sanitation is urban cleaning and the correct management of solid waste. With increasing urbanization, this does not always occur in its entirety.
The appropriate destination for urban waste is the landfill. The landfill contains structure for the treatment of gases and, incineration or selective collection. But because they are large investments, public administrations end up leaving aside these practices with very bad consequences.
Garbage is among the main problems in large urban centers due to destination. Dumps are large open pit deposits with high probability of soil contamination and infestation of diseases. In addition, rainfall contributes to the dumping of waste into cities and to water contamination.
Garbage without proper destination increases the likelihood of flooding. In turn, they aid the washing of urban surfaces contaminated with different organic components and metals. According to the magazine Ciência e Cultura, "losses due to floods in urban drainage in Brazilian cities have increased exponentially, reducing the quality of life and value of properties." Consequences of lack of basic sanitation: Floods.
In addition, according to WHO, a polluted environment is deadly. Especially for young children because their organs and immune systems are especially vulnerable to dirty air and water. The UN has also been concerned about the rise of improperly discarded electronic waste. This type of waste is expected to increase by 19% by 2018, reaching 50 million tonnes.
Reports from the World Health Organization warn of the disposal of electronic waste. They can cause health damage, especially in children, including reduced intelligence, attention deficits, lung problems and cancer.
The agency indicates a number of measures to prevent environmental problems from affecting health, especially children, such as investment in sanitation, school hygiene and urban planning policies.
5 - IMPRODUCTIVITY
In 2014, Instituto Trata Brasil conducted a study in partnership with the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) entitled "Economic Benefits of the Expansion of Brazilian Sanitation". The results point to loss of productivity and income due to lack of basic sanitation.
This study shows everything that has already been dealt with throughout this text. Access to basic sanitation improves health, avoids disease, death and broadens economic opportunities and productivity.
According to the survey, Brazil's per capita income would increase by 6% if all Brazilians had basic services. In addition, 11% of the worker's shortages are related to problems caused by lack of sanitation. 217,000 workers move away from their activities annually due to gastrointestinal problems linked to lack of sanitation.
This directly affects the economy: by having access to the sewage system, a worker increases his productivity by 13.3% and results in a 3.8% salary increase due to a decrease in absences. Nonetheless, the universal service of basic services values an average of 18% of real estate value.
Children are not left out of statistics. The study shows that sanitation also improves the school performance of children, as it reduces absences due to hospitalizations. According to Águas Guariroba, 65% of hospitalizations in children under 10 years of age are linked to lack of sanitation.
Finally, the Institute also concludes that a reduction of 10% in leakage, robbery, clandestine connections, lack of measurement or incorrect measurements of water consumption in Brazil reduces the equivalent of 42% of the investment made in the water supply system. water in the country.
Final Thoughts
And this is just one of the great examples of demonstration of some human characters, is that while some have everything and waste and sometimes do not take advantage there are others who need and are going through difficulties.Incredible where human ignorance can sometimes come.
