Contaminated and polluted water now kills more people than all forms of violence including wars, according to a United Nations report released Monday that calls for turning unsanitary wastewater into an environmentally safe economic resource. "At the beginning of the 21st century, the world faces a water crisis, both of quantity and quality, caused by continuous population growth, industrialization, food production practices, increased living standards and poor water use strategies," the report by the U.N. Environmental Program says. As a result, "it is essential that wastewater management is considered as part of integrated, ecosystem-based management that operates across sectors and borders, freshwater and marine." The report defines wastewater as a combination of fertilizer runoff, sewage disposal and other animal, agricultural and industrial wastes. The report's release was timed to coincide with World Water Day, an initiative started in 1992 that aims to raise the profile of water quality. --MORE
