Introduction

This section offers two short guided tours that are intended primarily for people who are not familiar with water-supply and sanitation issues… and of course for all those who wish to refresh their memories.

The first guided tour provides an Overview of Access to Safe Water and Basic Sanitation, and presents the essential elements that are needed to understand:

• why both water quality and quantity are so important to life;
• who has access to improved drinking-water sources and sanitation, including a look at disparities between regions of the world, and between rural and urban areas within countries;
• what can be done to improve the situation, and the importance of monitoring.

The second guided tour on Drinking-Water, Sanitation and Health presents:

• the links between access to safe drinking-water supply and sanitation, and health;
• the main diseases that afflict the millions in the world with insufficient access to improved drinking-water and sanitation;
• the simple measures that can be adopted to produce a swift impact on health outcomes.