| Abstract: | Worldwide, urban population is forecast to more than double from about 2.5 billion in 1994 to some 5.1 billion in 2025. Urbanization is increasingly located in developing countries: in 1970, 50% of the population lived in urban areas in these countries; this rose to 66% in 1994 and is forecast to be close to 80% by 2020 (United Nations, 1995). Cities in developing countries report shortages of sources for raw water, as well as the basic infrastructure for provision of urban household, industrial and commercial water supply. Sources for water and protection of water quality will indeed become more critical with more cases emerging of severe shortages that directly affect daily life. |
