Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do

While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, millions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack these basic services. Worldwide, one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water, two out of five people do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water, and millions of people still practice open defecation.