What is regarded as the most lethal environmental problem affecting people worldwide?

Water pollution is recognized as one of the most lethal environmental problems affecting people worldwide due to its direct impact on human health and the environment. Contaminated water can transmit a wide range of serious diseases, such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever, which are often fatal without proper treatment. Access to clean water is essential for drinking, sanitation, and food production, thus making its contamination a critical public health issue. Poor water quality not only endangers human life but can also lead to significant economic repercussions and environmental degradation as ecosystems are disrupted and biodiversity is lost.

While air pollution, soil contamination, and waste management are also significant environmental issues that pose risks to human health and ecosystems, the immediacy and breadth of the impact of water pollution on populations globally often position it as a priority concern. Unsafe water is linked to higher mortality rates and has a more direct and widespread effect on communities, particularly in developing nations where resources for clean water access are limited.