Water in Emergency Situations (PAHO, 1999)

Emergencies can be caused by man-made situations - accidents or war - or natural phenomena - earthquakes, drought or floods. Most of these disasters result in loss of life and property and mass evacuation of people. After disasters, the most important commodity for the affected population is water, and shortages or pollution of this resource can have very serious consequences for public health.

Local authorities have a critical role in preparing for and reducing the impact of these events, in order to prevent dramatic outbreaks of waterborne diseases.