How Solving the Water Crisis Will Solve Global Poverty

The wells are entirely sealed, ensuring that the water stays clean. NGOs also build hand-dug wells, but most are incredibly dangerous to construct, or they build deep wells that are cost-effective but are generally more expensive. However, any local well that produces safe water is better than walking miles for contaminated groundwater.

Impoverished people living in slums pay absurd amounts of money for water. In contrast, people living in the same area but wealthier neighborhoods with their own pipe system pay incredibly less per liter. In fact, disadvantaged households often spent up to 30% of their income on water. As such, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) focuses its eradicating poverty policies on sustainable efforts, such as building stand-pipes for multiple households to share and creating tariffs or water rebates in addition to rehabilitating wells.