An Assessment of Water Distress Level and its Impact on Livelihood

Water is the hub on which life is anchored and plays a major role in livelihood (poverty, healthcare and environment). Over 80 percent of diseases in third world countries are known to be water borne, killing at least 2,500 people daily (Iyun, 1999). Earlier poverty was only measured and linked to food insecurity (Barker et al, 2006). Presently the growing need for water, its scarcity relative to food has nullified using food scarcity as yardstick to measure poverty level. It has also been well articulated that ¿the number of water taps per thousand persons is a better indication of health than number of hospital beds¿ (Iyun, 1999).