Eritrea seems to have the lowest percentage of access to water out of all MEDC’s and LEDC’s.

Even
though it has increased by 5% between 2000 and 2016, the percentage is still really low. It started being
46,8% and increased up to 51,85%, both of which are low. According to recent studies, that percentage
hasn’t increased since only 26-50% of the population has access to water, and that water isn't safe to
drink. However, the low percentage is due to a number of factors. Eritrea is located at the highest
landmass of the African continent. Eritrea’s climatic conditions of high altitudes were greatly suitable for
agricultural activities. Thus, the country and its people were very dependent on agriculture. With
mismanagement of agriculture, deforestation due to farming, and the mining of resources, large areas
are left vulnerable to season changes and rain. In Eritrea, when it rains, it pours; the deforested land
becomes susceptible to flash floods. While this may seem useful, water becomes polluted from the
matter it runs through in the process of eutrophication. The addition of a drought in the already
nonreliable rainfall in Eritrea, was catastrophic. Of course, when the main source of income, agricultural
practices, for many is impacted, the poverty rates increase and the economy begins to crumble. With
the GDP per capita being 642.5, the economy doesn’t allow for technological developments that would
favor the access to fresh, clean water.

Sources: Eritrea | Data (worldbank.org)

The Eritrea Water Crisis: All You Need to Know - Water is a Right

Eritrea - Climate

The second LEDC with the lowest percentage of access to water is Equatorial Guinea. Between 2000 and
2017, it demonstrated a higher increase in percentage of 13% than Eritrea, which recorded a 5% rise. It
began off at 51.10 %, and after rising by almost 1% annually until 2017 it reached 64.67%. The climate of
both the continental region and the islands is typically equatorial, with high temperatures, heavy
rainfall, and much cloud cover most of the year. Local variations are due to differences in elevation and
proximity to the sea. The country is, however, vulnerable to the impacts of climate change from rising
sea level, increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation, and extreme weather events. These
impacts effect its key sectors, such as agriculture, which will further impact the health and wellbeing of
its population. Agriculture, deforestation and desertification all violated the access to fresh water.
Additionally, they don't seem to invest much in water compared to production and infrastructure, which
is evident to the country's Gross National Income, which is bigger than most African nations due to the
country's oil production. In particular, Human Rights Watch notes that up to $125 million was budgeted
for Equatorial Guinea's water quality improvement in 2011. Instead, the nation allocated 50% of its
budget to constructing urban infrastructure. Sports expenditures exceeded the initial projected amount
of $80 million. As of June 30, 2011, just $60 million—or 3% of total spending that year—was allocated to
potable water, education, and health combined.

Sources: Poor Water Quality in Equatorial Guinea (borgenproject.org)

Equatorial Guinea - Climate | Britannica

Equatorial Guinea - The World Factbook (cia.gov)

Gabon has the highest percentage of access to water out of all three LEDC’s and the third highest
percentage out of all six MEDC’s and LEDC’S selected. The country has also shown a small increase of 5%
in the percentage, like Eritrea, with it initially being 80,9% and in 2020 being 85%. Still, access to potable
water remains a critical problem in both rural Gabon and poorer suburbs of big cities.” To get water
from some of the privileged neighborhoods, we walk several hundred meters and pay 350 CFA (about 58
U.S. cents) for a cubic meter of water, whereas the local water authority charges only 281 CFA (about 46
U.S. cents)," explains a resident from a poor neighborhood. Water quality in Gabon is abundant, but
unevenly distributed and threatened by high rates of urbanization. The demand for a fixed water supply
rises along with the urban population. Gabon’s low capacity for drinking water production and lack of
storage and maintenance facilities leads to frequent water shortages in Libreville and other urban areas.
Despite being an upper-middle-income nation, 34% of the population is impoverished, with access to
sanitary facilities and clean water being severely limited. That is particularly because the sea is also
turning into dumpsite for garbage removal firms which do not properly dispose of their trash. As a
result, most bodies of water have been polluted by garbage. In urban areas, where flooding occurs after
major rainfalls, water mix with garbage and create a breeding ground for diseases, targeting children. A
number of NGOs, led by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), say they are concerned about water
pollution, which they believe to be one of the worst threats to public health in Gabon.” The real problem
is a lack of civic responsibility. Often consumers dump garbage on the ground instead of in designated
places,” laments Nang Nzue, a schoolteacher in Libreville.

Sources:

ENVIRONMENT-GABON: Access to Clean Water Still a Big Problem | Inter Press Service (ipsnews.net)

Disparities in Water Quality in Gabon - The Borgen Project

Japan has the lowest percentage of accessible water out of all MEDC’s, but the third highest one out of
the MEDC’s and LEDC’s selected, with it being 98,5% in 2000 and increasing sparsely by 0.5% until 2020
when it reached 99%. The high percentage is due to a number of variables. Two of which include the
Geomorphology and Hydrology in Japan. Japan is an archipelago, made from four large islands and many
other small islands, and hence it is surrounded by water. In addition, the average precipitation in Japan
is 1,718 mm/year, higher than the world average (880 mm/year). The rivers in Japan are short and
steep compared to those on other continents, which causes rainwater from the watershed to evaporate
quickly. Japan's large proportion of fresh water is also a result of the construction of modern networks.
To address water-borne diseases, related authorities started to emphasize the importance of modern
waterworks construction. Due to the increased danger of epidemics, port cities were especially pushed
to install waterworks. It appears that people in Japan make significant effort to protect the water. While
the average use of water for showers and baths is 35%, Japan uses 26%. Moreover, it uses 24% for toilet
while the average percentage is 30%. Awareness for water conservation can be seen in a 30 percent
increase over 15 years of people who make water conservation efforts in their daily life. About 75% of
people are for utilization of rainwater or recycled water. About 36% say they would be willing to install
such equipment in their homes even if they have to pay for it. People are increasingly aware of water
conservation at home. Many attach a small device to restrict the flow to water taps and re-use
bathwater for washing clothes and watering gardens. The excessive pumping of subsurface water for
industrial expansion in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s resulted in major problems with ground
sinking in several regions. Since then, laws and regulations limiting groundwater pumping have been
implemented, reducing the issue of ground subsidence. Major ground subsidence reports are no longer
frequently reported.

Sources:

WATER RESOURCES AND USE IN JAPAN | Japan for Sustainability (japanfs.org)

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Water Supply in Japan (mhlw.go.jp)

residential water use in the u.s. and canada - Bing images

Italy has the second highest percentage in access to fresh water out of all MEDC’s and LEDC’s, with it
being 99,5% in 2000 and increasing slightly up to 99,9% until 2020. Even though the percentage is
relatively very high, especially in contrast with the majority of the rest of the nations, nor Italy’s
topography nor its regulations seem to be in favor of water conservation. Northern Italy gets nearly
twice as much rainfall as the south, where water scarcity is exacerbated by higher annual temperatures
that intensify evaporation. Meanwhile, Italy’s mountainous terrain makes it difficult to move surplus
water between its regions. These factors, along with abnormally low soil moisture, means that although
there’s a plentiful 392 billion cubic yards of water that falls or flows into Italy every year, barely 76
billion cubic yards can actually be used. The summer of 2017 in Italy was the driest in sixty years, with up
to 80% less rainfall than the historical average. A July heatwave with temperatures rising beyond 40
degrees Celsius made this water shortage worse. It is anticipated that such extreme occurrences, which
are frequently linked to climate change, will increase in frequency and severity. Venice's famous canals
have dried up so much twice in the past two years that their legendary gondolas have been grounded; in
2017, the Italian island of Sardinia applied for natural disaster status; and in Sicily, wildfires destroyed
woods and farms, requiring evacuations. Rome and many other cities, towns, and villages are currently
experiencing one of the driest summers on record for the nation. Even the comparatively moist north
had only one month's worth of water storage. Nature isn't to blame, though, as human activities greatly
exacerbate Italy's water issues. Italy had the most advanced aqueducts of the era two thousand years
ago, delivering water great distances to meet the needs of its developing towns. Italy's water
infrastructure is currently having trouble, and attempts are being undertaken to replace and repair the
network's antiquated and ineffective components. Rome's 3,355 miles (5,400 kilometers) of pipes,
which have been losing about 44% of the city's water supply, have needed urgent upgrades over the
past two years, thanks to an additional 20% investment. It's a waste of water that Italy can't afford
because of its enormous demand. With a water footprint of 3012 cubic yards per person per year, Italy
has one of the highest levels in Europe. That is 25% more than the average for Europe. Agriculture uses
up a big portion of Italy's water supply since a large portion of the country needs extensive irrigation to
support crops. 15% of the groundwater utilized for irrigation is non-renewable, which is more than Spain
and Greece combined and depletes resources that cannot be replaced naturally. Water pollution in Italy
is also a problem caused by agriculture since fertilizers leach into the water table alongside home and
industrial pollutants. In 2014, the European Court of Justice took legal action against the Italian
government for failing to adequately treat water sources inundated with calcium, arsenic, and fluoride.
For domestic chores like cooking, washing, and cleaning, the typical Italian uses little over 58 gallons
(220 liters) of potable water per time. Over 60% of this water is used for personal hygiene, with about
50% of that amount being flushed down the toilet. Contrarily, many individuals in developing nations
make do with as little as five to eight gallons (20 to 30 liters) per day, often less. However, the debate on
balancing social and environmental values and on structuring the legal regime in the most suitable way
for satisfying the social functions of water is still open.

Sources:

The Leaky Boot: Where is Italy’s Water Going? (nationalgeographic.com)

The ownership of water resources in Italy | Global Water Forum

Kuwait is the highest in accessibility to fresh water out of all MEDC’s AND LEDC’s with the percentage
being constant 100% from 2000 to 2020. Although limited rainfall and hot summers in the desert
country threaten water reserves in underground aquifers, by using a sophisticated desalinization
process, water quality in Kuwait is one of the best. With Kuwait’s main water supply coming from
groundwater, it puts the country at an extremely high-water risk: the country only experiences about
121mm of rainfall each year, and only a small percentage of that reaches aquifers. Because of this, the
country relies heavily on its desalinated seawater and treated municipal wastewater. The country seems
to prioritize fresh water heavenly since due to the high risk of contamination and harmful bacteria that
harbors in wastewater, between 2005 and 2014, the Kuwaiti government invested approximately $5.2
billion in the water sector. Kuwait has a GDP worth of 136.20 billion US dollars and appears to care for
water conservation and security, and an example demonstrating this is the allocation of around $3.4
billion to water treatments to guarantee adequate water quality in Kuwait. To ensure that the
distillation plants, constructed in 2013, would create enough clean water for the entire country, Khalid
Al Barrak, the head of KISR’s Water Science Department, advised the country to monitor and cut down
its level of water consumption. Barrak stated that “such a consumption level was irrational and that it
was eroding the government’s efforts to prevent the ominous waste of the invaluable resource.”
Barrak’s claims could help protect not only the water quality in Kuwait, but also help preserve the
limited natural freshwater resources available in a country, which was recently reported as the highest
water consumer in the world. Additionally, cutting down consumption could save the country about $28
million annually. By cutting down consumption and continuing the construction of desalination projects,
the water quality in Kuwait will continue to see improvements and will provide more resources to
people who live in the more arid desert areas of Kuwait.

Sources:

Water Quality in Kuwait One of the Best in the World (borgenproject.org)

Kuwait GDP - 2022 Data - 2023 Forecast - 1962-2021 Historical - Chart - News (tradingeconomics.com)