It is no surprise to anyone that developing countries face a number of problems every day from lack of money to widespread diseases. However, not many people are aware of the fact that out of all the environmental concerns that developing countries face, the lack of adequate water which is of a good quality is probably the most serious. As well as this water quality has become one of the leading economic issues for the purposes of development and investment in these developing countries.



Not only do these problems lead to dehydration but dirty, contaminated water can lead to health problems such as dysentery and malaria. The levels of unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries and is also among the top five of all risk factors in these same countries. Unfortunately poorer countries haven't had the same facilities as the Western World which has undoubtedly led to these problems. Although water test kits can now provide a simple solution as they are becoming more readily available worldwide.

These water quality problems are heightened in developing countries because their economic environment is severely restricted, is often poorly structures and their scientific knowledge is often poorly understood and applied. In 2000 the global population without access to safe water was estimated to be about 1.2 billion which is 19 percent of the world. The majority of the population without clean water are those living in Asia and Sub - Saharan Africa. In 1990 this statistic was a lot higher at 26 percent of the world not have access to safe water. Although this is showing significant progress a lot more still needs to be done as a large percentage of the population in developing countries are still suffering with poor water quality.

Other steps that are being taken to rectify these problems are that numerous charities such as Wherever the Need are implementing new water collection systems, dams are being built and steps are being taken in order to build and maintain clean water systems.

As well as this, recent developments in technology have resulted in new methods of water testing being introduced. Water test kits are now widely available wherever you go in the world. These portable kits are a faster, cheaper and more convenient way of monitoring water supplies. One of the major problems before was that developing countries cannot easily access sophisticated laboratories and the trained specialists that go with them which meant that a lot of people were unaware as to how bad their water was. However, the introduction of these water test kits has meant that not only can more people test their water but more people are becoming aware of the importance of knowing what is in their supply.