UN calls for cooperation in the face of ‘imminent risk of global water crisis’

Between 2,000 and 3,000 million people in the world suffer from water scarcity, a problem that will worsen in the coming decades, especially in cities, and which the United Nations (UN) is calling for to combat more “international cooperation” faced with the “inevitable the risk of a global crisis.

This is the main conclusion of the last edition United Nations World Water Development Reportpresented this Wednesday by UNESCO and UN-Water in anticipation of United Nations Water Conference 2023which will be held in New York from 22 to 24 March.

Globally, 2 billion people (about 26% of the population) do not have access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion (46%) do not have access to safe sanitation, according to the report, which also notes that between 2,000 and 3,000 million people are suffering. lack of water for at least one month a year”, with “serious risks” of access to electricity and food.

In this context, the world’s water-stressed urban population will grow from 930 million in 2016 to double by 2050 (1700-2400 million).

“There is an urgent need to create reliable international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from getting out of control. Water is our common future and it is important to work together to share it fairly and manage it sustainably,” he said. Audrey Azoulaycompany general manager UNESCOin a research statement released by his agency, which is based in Paris.

Water use increases by 1% per year

Globally, water consumption has increased by about 1% per year over the past 40 years and will continue to rise in the future. Meanwhile, extreme weather events resulting from climate change are on the rise.

“From 2000 to 2019, floods caused economic damage in the amount of US$650 billionaffected 1,650 million people and caused more than 100,000 deaths. Droughts have affected 1,430 million people over the same time period and are estimated to have caused damage of almost 130 billion”, highlight the study in its key data.

“The sum of floods and droughts accounted for more than 75% of all natural disasters that affected the population,” he adds.

Panorama before the water crisis

According to Richard Connorspecialist UNESCO World Water Assessment Program“all water-related targets” of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals are “already behind schedule” and “every country in the world poses risks to water quality” to a greater or lesser extent.

Achieving “universal coverage” of drinking water and sanitation services by 2030 “will require,” as Connor explained in an online press conference ahead of the report’s release, “a fourfold increase in the rate of progress” of current improvement.

The specialist also emphasized the need to balance the “growing needs” of agriculture and industry, as well as to increase international cooperation.

Calculations UN Water determine that a total of 153 countries have 286 basins and 592 transboundary aquifer systems, although very few of these are the subject of cooperation agreements.

Global “collective action” on water will require that Connorof a trillion dollars a year in terms of funding.

Measures relating to water and sanitation are also “rarely” part of countries’ international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

However, dealing with a potential “global water crisis” is a matter of political will as well as public conscience, Connor said.

Thus, in addition to data and context, the 2023 edition of the UNESCO Water Report also highlights examples of collective action being taken around the world to address water challenges.

(According to EFE).