The water/health nexus in Disaster Medicine. II: water contamination in disasters

Water is a quintessential necessity of life; disasters are an unfortunate fact of life. The nexus of water and human health in Disaster Medicine is an important area of scientific inquiry because the incidence of disasters and their adverse effects on human populations are increasing exponentially worldwide. Whether it is in life-threatening short supply (drought), overabundance (floods, tsunamis and storm surges) or contaminated as a result of a disaster, water can have highly significant health effects on already distressed populations. In this, the second of two articles, the effects of disaster-related water contamination are discussed. Recommendations are offered to improve water security in disaster preparedness — something that is especially problematic in the developing world.Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.Lao Tzu