Sustainability of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: From Prehistoric Times to the Present Times and the Future

Abstract

Contaminated water and poor sanitation are associated with disease transmission. Absent, inadequate, or improperly managed water resources and sanitation systems expose individuals to preventable health risks. Billions of people lack access to these basic services today and will remain in this condition for decades to come. As we are usually thinking and talking about water, sanitation and hygiene services have changed. Looking back at the history of water, sanitation, and hygiene can help us understand the challenges and opportunities of these issues and draw lessons to achieve sustainable development in the future. Throughout history, civilizations have successfully experimented with treating water and using it for drinking, sanitation, and agriculture. For example, the Minoan civilizations originally focused on water treatment and cleaning to improve the aesthetic properties of drinking water. During prehistoric times, Minoan and Indus Valley civilizations, dating back to about 2000 BC, were the first to focus on the treatment of water supplies. From the early Minoan period, they relied on rainwater collection. During historic times, Hippocrates was the first to invent and used a water filter in the form of a cloth bag, at about 400 BC, known today as the Hippocrates Sleeve. The Romans perfected existing water technologies on a larger scale and initiated their spread throughout the Empire. Hygiene in ancient Rome was promoted by the famous public baths and toilets, which were supplied with water through widely branched aqueducts that had a high standard of cleanliness for the time and were regularly maintained.

Learning from medieval Italy: urban sustainability concepts from the heritage of hydraulic infrastructures. The cases of Venice, Siena and Bologna

“…Regarding its prospective approach, this paper joins others that have recently shifted the study of historical supply systems to their future contribution facing to the climate challenge (Angelakis et al, 2023;Peters et al, 2021;Sulyov a et al, 2021).…”

Investigation of the Water Quality in Oum Er Rbia River (Morocco): A Multifaceted Analysis of Physicochemical, Undesirable Substances, Toxic Compounds, and Bacteriological Traits

“…1 This abundant resource, which is essential for sustaining life, has played a pivotal role in the development and flourishing of civilizations throughout history. 2 However, the escalating demand for water resources worldwide, driven by population growth, industrialization, and agricultural expansion, has raised concerns about the degradation of water quality. 3 The confluence of anthropogenic activities and natural processes has significantly altered the pristine state of many water bodies, prompting global awareness of the intricate challenges associated with water quality management.…”