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Men collect water from the Euphrates river in Najaf, south of Baghdad, Iraq March 7, 2016. Some 650 million people, or one in 10 of the world's population, have no access to safe water, putting them at risk of infectious diseases and premature death. Dirty water and poor sanitation can cause severe diarrhoeal diseases in children, killing 900 under-five a day across the world, according to United Nations estimates. The U.N. says access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services is vital to human health. It is also important for other reasons – ranging from easily identifiable and quantifiable benefits such as cost and time savings, to more intangible factors like convenience, well-being, dignity, privacy and safety. The WHO estimates that every $1 invested in improving water supply and sanitation services yields gains of $4 to $12, depending on the type of intervention. World Water Day, marked this year on March 22, highlights various concerns about the world's water resources, and in 2016 is focusing on how good access to safe water can create paid work and contribute to a greener economy. (Photo by Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters)
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