Lecture

Water and Disease: Impact on Human Health

Graph Chat

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.

Description

This lecture explores the relationship between water and the human body, emphasizing its role as a cell component and in regulating body temperature. It delves into the vital importance of water for waste elimination and its immediate environment, discussing diseases like malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, onchocerciasis, and sleeping sickness. The presentation concludes by highlighting the environmental challenges faced by African cities in terms of sustainable development.

Official source

Related concepts (15)

Water resources

Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slightly over two-thirds of this is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is found mainly as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air. Natural sources of fresh water include surface water, under river flow, groundwater and frozen water.

Water scarcity

Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity namely physical and economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is where there is not enough water to meet all demands, including that needed for ecosystems to function. Arid areas for example Central and West Asia, and North Africa often experience physical water scarcity.

Water conservation

Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand (thus avoiding water scarcity). Population, household size and growth and affluence all affect how much water is used. Factors such as climate change have increased pressures on natural water resources especially in manufacturing and agricultural irrigation.

Water conflict

Water conflict or water war is a term describing a conflict between countries, states, or groups over the rights to access water resources. The United Nations recognizes that water disputes result from opposing interests of water users, public or private. A wide range of water conflicts appear throughout history, though rarely are traditional wars waged over water alone. Instead, water has long been a source of tension and one of the causes for conflicts.

Water footprint

A water footprint shows the extent of water use in relation to consumption by people. The water footprint of an individual, community, or business is defined as the total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. Water use is measured in water volume consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted per unit of time. A water footprint can be calculated for any well-defined group of consumers (e.g.

Related lectures (64)

Water: Properties and Importance

Explores the properties and significance of water, including its physical, electrical, and chemical characteristics, emphasizing its vital role in life and the environment.

Water Resources: Global Challenges and Sustainable Management

Covers the hydrosphere, freshwater utilization, and sustainable management practices to address global water challenges.

Osmotic Pressure: Electrochemical Potential

Explores osmotic pressure and electrochemical potential, highlighting their calculation and significance in electrolyte behavior.

Water Resources Engineering: Management & Trade

Explores water resources engineering, global water reserves, virtual water trade, historical water management, water scarcity impact, and future challenges.

Shrinkage in Concrete