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29
Figure 9:
Investment to improve basic access to a safe water source and sanitation (WHO scenario A) can have a significant return with the
largest impact on health in particular averting diarrhoea cases and time saved (increasing productivity). Urbanized areas provide a large
proportion of GDP, therefore the future development of developing countries is dependent on the productivity of growing urban areas.
Pacific
Ocean
Atlantic
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
Wastewater, Health and Human well being
Investing in water supply and sanitation
Latin America
and Caribbeans
South East
Asia
Economic return for water
and sanitation investments
for two different scenarios
Africa
Eastern
Mediterranean
Central and
Eastern
Europe
Western
Pacific
Diarrhoea cases averted
per year reaching:
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Mortality rate for WHO sanitary regions
US Dollars return for
each dollar invested
Thousands
1 000
430
130
1
Scenario A
Scenario B
Scenario A
Scenario B
Water Source and sanitation for
the Millennium Development
Goals
Regulated piped water
source and sewer
connection
WHO scenarios for 2015
A
B
Adult
Child
Low
Low
High
High
Very high
Source: Hutton, G.,
et al
.,
Global cost-benefit
analysis of water supply
and sanitation
interventions,
Journal of
Water and Health, 2007.