Water quality assessment at a global scale: a comparison between world regions |
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| Authors: | Gabriela da Costa Silva Monique G Dubé |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Environment and Sustainability , University of Saskatchewan , Saskatoon , Canada gcsilva.ca@gmail.com;3. School of Environment and Sustainability , University of Saskatchewan , Saskatoon , Canada |
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| Abstract: | This paper examines the state of global drinking water quality using the Global Drinking Water Quality Index (GDWQI) for freshwater ecosystems. We compared the state of water quality in the five major world regions over 30 years by using a database provided by the GEMS/Water Programme of the United Nations Environment Program Global Environment Monitoring System. This global monitoring database is unique in the world and consists of raw, real data, not modelled data as is typical for many global water assessments. Our findings confirm the applicability of the GDWQI to better communicate changes in water quality trends and therefore help to improve decision-making processes worldwide. |
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| Keywords: | drinking water quality index global water quality assessment water quality guidelines |
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