Roadblocks to universal cleanwater in SEA and how to overcome them - David Pong, Wateroam

748 million people around the world are without basic water access and billions more still suffer from the effects of not having access to clean water. In fact, according to a report done by WHO in 2019, some 829,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene. In South-east Asia, there is still more than 134 million people who do not have access to improved drinking water. WHO estimates that between 68% - 84% of water sources are contaminated in Southeast Asia.What is obstructing our goal of universal access to clean water and sanitation? What creates such challenges and what is being done to overcome them?To answer these questions, I speak to David Pong, CEO - Waterroam, a water-innovation social enterprise that develops community water filters for disaster relief and rural development. As of 2020, Waterroam has successfully brough clean water to over 88,000 people in rural villages and disaster-struck zones across South-east Asia.