Three types of water-related diseases exist: (i) water-borne diseases are those diseases that arise from infected water and are transmitted when the water is used for drinking or cooking (for example cholera, typhoid); (ii) water-based diseases are those in which water provides the habitant for host organisms of parasites ingested (for example shistomasomiasis or bilharzia); (iii) water-related insect vector diseases are those in which insect vectors rely on water as habitat but transmission is not through direct contact with water (for example malaria, onchocerciasis or river blindness, elephantiasis).