GEO-6 Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean

GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean

Figure 2.2.12: Improved drinking water coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-regions (percentage).

95 94 93 92

91 90 89 88

87 86 85 84 83 82 80 80 79 78 77

Caribbean Source: UN 2015

Mesoamerica Years

Amazon basin is releasing important quantities of mercury to rivers and causing poisoning in humans and damage to ecosystem health downstream. At the same time, gold mining is an important source of income for poor families (More…17).

The provision of ecosystem services, key to sustain

livelihoods through water for consumption, food and jobs in the fisheries and tourism sectors, is being affected by poor water quality. For instance, in Panama, fish kills due to intoxication with pesticides and waste as well as episodes of acute contamination of water sources for human consumption are frequently observed. Some of the affected rivers include the Changinola and Sixaola. La Villa River had two contamination episodes with the atrazine herbicide in 2014 leading to water supply restrictions (MINSA 2014). In Panama City, the disposal of wastewater and solid waste in the Juan Díaz river is affecting the capacity of mangrove forests to protect coastal settlements from tidal waves.

South America Considerations for sustainable development

variability and extremes is on human health (see Table 2.2.5), either through water scarcity or sudden abundance of it through natural disasters. It is now widely acknowledged that inadequate supply of water, collapsed sanitation systems and contaminated water are the main causes of illness, such as malaria, cholera, dysentery, schistosomiasis, infectious hepatitis and diarrhoea (OMS 2012). The impacts of this in different segments of the population are a sign of their vulnerability and of the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

A complex issue affecting livelihoods is the practice of productive activities at the small and artisanal levels, which many times use outdated and ill-managed systems that contaminate water. For example, artisanal gold mining in the

The underpinning theme of GEO-6 is “Healthy Planet, Healthy People”. Water and air are the environmental elements most directly related to human health. Economic and social development are slowly making populations less dependent on direct water withdrawal from rivers and aquifers and are instead expanding piped and tanked water supply systems. The next step, as stated in SDG 6.3, is to improve water quality, reducing the burden of disease on those who have recently gained access to improved water sources.

Water quality means safe water for drinking, producing food, bathing and many other uses. According to the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), the number of people without safe water could be as large as those who do not have access to basic sanitation (WWAP 2015). This clearly shows the need for action and for the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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