The consequences of water pollution are often horrendous for the environment and people alike, and the most water polluted countries with the worst pollution in the world are definitely no stranger to that fact.
So what exactly are the harmful effects of water pollution that everyone keeps harping on about? Well, adulterated water is the breeding ground for water-borne diseases. While drinking such water can cause diarrhea, hepatitis, cancer or sometimes even death, using corrupted water for washing bodies or clothes can cause various skin diseases as well. And let’s not be nonchalant about the environment: the impact of water pollution on aquatic creatures is tremendous. Polluted water is sure to give them diseases or kill them.
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Water pollution in the world today has reached inexplicable heights. I mean just look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, colloquially known as Garbage Island, a name given to tiny bits of plastic congregated in a general area to form trails of trash. So where is this pollution happening? Maybe we should be blaming this phenomenon on the countries on our list, as they are where the worst water pollution in the world can be found.
To compile our list, we did heavy research on various countries. First, we looked for the countries with the most polluted rivers using sources such as World Atlas and Soapboxie, among others. Then, we scoured the Internet for the worst water contamination disasters to occur around the world, where All About Water Filters and Allianz came in super handy. We also considered the biggest producers of water pollution. The countries so compiled were then looked into more deeply and individually, and ranked based on the number and scale of water pollution disasters we could find. We also took into account the health effects on citizens of the water pollution prevalent in the country. If, however, you are looking for a list of water-poor countries, that is to say, nations ranked by percentage of the population using improved water sources, then go on ahead to our piece on the 13 countries with least access to clean water. By that criterion, the infamous Afghanistan water pollution actually translates to lack of access to clean water or scarcity of water in general.
Interestingly the most air polluted country in the world which is Saudi Arabia, closely followed by Qatar, is not among the most water polluted. While air pollution and water pollution are quite different, air pollution is usually used as a measure to determine the most polluted country in the world as well. For most water polluted countries with the worst pollution in the world, however, read on ahead:
