Water is an elementary requirement for all life on earth, which means it is also a condition for sustainable (ecological) development. A large proportion of individuals living in poverty have no access to clean water and basic sanitary conditions. Raw industrial waste and sewage contributes to contamination of water and the unsanitary environment that especially affects people living in poverty.
The lack of water, elevated sea levels and climate change means that the amount of climate-based refugees will continue to grow. According to the UN refugee organisation (UNHCR), there will be between 250 million and one billion climate-based refugees in the world in the year 2050. Drought, flooding, hurricanes, lack of farming and severe living conditions are the reasons cited for this prognosis.