UN chief warns of ‘vampire overconsumption’ and ‘misuse’ of world water

“We broke the cycle waterdestroyed ecosystems and polluted groundwater,” condemned UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the opening of the UN conference on water in New York for the first time in nearly half a century.

“We are sapping the lifeblood of humanity through vampire overconsumption and unsustainable use and evaporating it through global warming,” he warned. António Guterres from the UN rostrum, where he recalled that almost “three out of four natural disasters are associated with water”.

In a joint report by UN-Water and UNESCO, published on the occasion of the conference, the authors warn of “the imminent risk of a global crisis water”.

Without water enough in many places, while others are overstocked or polluted, dramatic situations are multiplying, and a UN report-Water and UNESCO warns of “the imminent risk of a global crisis water”.

“If nothing is done, 40 to 50% of the population will be left without access to sanitation and about 20-25% in water drinking water,” lead author Richard Connor told AFP. Even if the percentages do not change, the population is increasing, so more people will be affected, he notes.

“irrational consumption”

Bolivian President Luis Arce blamed the crisis at a conference organized by the Netherlands and Tajikistan water to “the product of our irrational forms and systems of consumption” and recalled that, in addition to the environmental, it is also a “socio-economic” problem, directly related to “the problems of poverty, inequality and justice.”

Arce is one of 6,500 participants, including heads of state and government, government officials and representatives of civil society, at this conference, hosted by the Netherlands and Tajikistan, which is being held for the first time since Sea del Plata (Argentina) in 1977.

The goal is to make specific “commitments” so that by 2030 everyone has access to water drinking water and sanitation, targets set in 2015. Actor Matt Demon is also among the participants.

“We have a lot to do and time is not on our side,” says Gibert Hougbo, the UN president.Watera platform that coordinates the work of the UN that does not have an agency dealing with this vital issue.

“Now or never”

In a world where, over the past 40 years, consumption water sweet has been growing at about 1% a year, especially in low-income and emerging economies, the report highlights the difficulties that “tend to become widespread” and exacerbated by the impact of global warming. Agriculture absorbs 72% waterand consumption in the industrial sector fell by 12%.

In regions such as Central America and the Caribbean, South America and Asia, from 2000 to 2018, production water increased compared to the rest of the world.

About 10% of the world’s population lives in countries where water stress (ratio between use water and its availability) have reached a high or critical level. “Nearly half of the world’s population” suffers from “serious” shortages, according to a UN climate report (Giec) released on Monday water at least part of the year.

This situation reflects inequality. “No matter where you are, if you have enough money, you can have water”, explains Richard Connor. But “the poorer you are, the more vulnerable you are to these crises.”

in the absence of water Added to this is pollution, which usually comes from lack of or inadequate sanitation systems.

At least 2 billion people drink water contaminated with excrement, exposing them to the risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhus and polio. Not forgetting pollution from pharmaceuticals, chemicals, pesticides, microplastics or nanomaterials.

“We cannot handle this emergency of the 21st century with infrastructure from another era,” Guterres said.

To ensure everyone has access to water drinking water by 2030, current levels of investment should be multiplied by at least three times, the report emphasizes.

Pollutants also threaten nature. ecosystems water Candies, which provide invaluable assistance to humanity, in particular by helping to fight global warming, are “one of the most vulnerable in the world,” the report notes.

“We must act now because the uncertainty associated with water it undermines food security, health, energy security or urban development and (multiplies) social problems,” he adds. “Now or Never: An Opportunity for a Generation”.

(According to AFP)

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