Urban growth is most rapid in the developing world, where cities gain an average of 5 million residents every month

The exploding urban population growth creates unprecedented challenges, among which provision for water and sanitation have been the most pressing and painfully felt when lacking

Lack of adequate sanitation is the most critical determinant of drinking water contamination

The cost of supplying water to cities is continually rising. In Mexico City, water is pumped over elevations exceeding 1,000 metres into the Valley of Mexico

Developing countries are disproportionately affected by disasters; their losses are about 5 times higher per unit of GDP than those of rich countries

Climate change contributes to the increased magnitude and frequency of precipitation-related disasters – floods, droughts, mudslides, typhoons and cyclones

In Central America, large disparities are apparent between urban and rural areas, with an estimated 86% of the urban population with sanitation coverage, compared to only 52% of the rural population.

70% of the Earth is covered by water, yet only 2.5% of the world's water is freshwater, with only 0.3% available from rivers, lakes and aquifers.

Coastal areas, with 18 of the world’s 27 megacities (populations of 10 million or greater), are thought to face the largest migration pressures.

Worldwide, 70% of the water that is withdrawn for human use is used for agriculture, 22% for industry and 8% is used for domestic services.

More than 85% of the Arab Region is classified as arid and hyper arid, receiving an average annual rainfall of less than 250 mm

In many places of the world, 30 to 40% of water or more goes unaccounted for due to water leakages in pipes and canals and illegal tapping

More than 85% of the Arab Region is classified as arid and hyper arid, receiving an average annual rainfall of less than 250 mm

More than 80% of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated, polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas.

1,800 million people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity by 2025, and two-thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions.

Developed countries show a wide range of variation in water pricing: in Germany 1m³ costs $1.91, in Denmark it costs $1.64, in Belgium $1.54, in the Netherlands $1.25, in Spain $0.57, in the US $0.51, in Australia $0.50 and in Canada $0.40.

In the poorest countries, 1 out of every 5 children fail to reach their 5th birthday, mainly due to infectious and environmental diseases arising from poor water quality

By 2050, 22% of the world’s population is expected to be 60 years old or older, up from 10% in 2005. At the same time, nearly half the world population is under the age of 25

From 1992–2001, losses from water-related disasters were estimated globally at US $446 billion.

43% of the urban population of south central Asia lives in slums

Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water courses.

The urban population in Asia will increase by 60% before 2025

More than 2.6 billion people - 40% of the world's population - lack basic sanitation facilities

Food and agriculture are by far the largest consumers of water, with up to 70% of the water from rivers and groundwater used for irrigation

Girls make up most of the 115 million children currently out of school and 80% of children not attending primary school in West/Central Africa, South Asia and Middle East/North Africa had mothers with no formal education. Reasons for this include the need for girls and women to walk long distances to bring water to the home and/or lack of sanitation facilities in schools.

A third of the world lives in water stressed areas where consumption outstrips supply.

The urban poor pay up to 50 times more for a litre of water than their richer neighbours, since they often have to buy their water from private vendors.

828 million people live in slums or informal settlements that are scattered around the world’s cities; the biggest challenge is to provide these people with adequate water and sanitation facilities.