UN makes a world call for better water management
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, affirmed that it is time to change the way of assessing and managing water, which will allow us to approach one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Drinking water and adequate sanitation for all is the sixth point of the SDGs and it is essential to achieve many other aspects of the 2030 Agenda, he assured when intervening in the United Nations General Assembly.
In launching the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development, the Portuguese diplomat highlighted how better access to water resources would make life easier for millions of people. 'Safe drinking water and adequate sanitation underpin poverty reduction, economic growth and the health of ecosystems.' They also contribute to social well-being and inclusive growth. However, increasing water demands coupled with poor management increase water stress in many parts of the world, he warned.
According to the projections, he said, the demand for fresh water should grow by more than 40 percent by mid-century and by 2050, at least one in four people will live in a country where the lack of fresh water will be chronic or recurrent. At present, he continued, 40 percent of the world's population is affected by water shortages, while 80 percent of wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment and more than 90 percent of disasters are related to water. "Until now, historically, water has proven to be a catalyst for cooperation, not for conflict. But we cannot take for granted neither peace nor our precious and fragile water resources, "he said.
More than two billion people lack access to drinking water and more than 4,500 million do not have adequate sanitation services, warned the UN's top representative. In addition, many of the most serious diseases in the developing world are directly related to unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and insufficient hygiene practices, he stressed. In the midst of this difficult scenario, climate change is a major threat, said Guterres. Without effective management of water resources, we risk intensifying disputes between communities and sectors and even increasing tensions between nations, he stressed.
Although there are solutions and new technologies in preparation aimed at improving the way water is managed, these options are often unaffordable for those who need them most, perpetuating inequality within and between countries, he said. In that sense, he said, the launch of the Decade of Action for Water for Sustainable Development appears as a global call for attention.