A new water decade will be key to meeting global development needs
The UN Millennium Development Goals were a mixed bag of mixed emotions. The ambitious international goals, which were meant to improve the lives and conditions of the poorest people in the world, have not all been met on time by 2015. The results on access to water were impressive.
The international community did not manage to “halve, by 2015, people who do not have access to sustainable drinking water” .
What does it mean? Since 1990, 2,6 billion people now have access to improved drinking water sources. Access to improved drinking water has helped improve health and reduce poverty around the world.
This success is due to the decision that declared 2005-2015 as the International Decade “Water for Life”. This was achieved by dedicating ten years, among others, to providing water to millions of people.
In the last decade, the United Nations General Assembly has recognised the right to access water and sanitation. In 2015, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (the successors to Millennium Development Goals) was dedicated to water . The goal is to “ensure the availability and sustainable management for water and sanitation”.
We have indeed made significant progress on the “water problem”. It may surprise you that the government of Tajikistan has announced a proposal for an International Decade for Action on “Water for Sustainable Development” given the success of last decade. We are still not finished with water.
The proposal, which is part of an action plan adopted by representatives from national governments, civil societies, and United Nations agencies, will be presented to the next General Assembly session in September 2016.
Why do we need another decade of water? Water security and infrastructure remain a major part of our development challenges. Water is fundamentally linked to social and natural issues. The eradication of hunger and poverty depends on how we view water.
The challenge of sanitation
Access to sanitation services is the biggest water-related problem the world faces. This includes toilets, sewage systems, and solid waste management. More than 2,4 billion people lack access to adequate facilities. The cost of poor sanitation to the world is estimated at US$260 Billion per year, more than the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Chile.
Kenya, for instance, is losing US$324,000,000 annually due to poor sanitation. This includes $244 million for premature deaths due to diarrhoea. $51 million is spent on health care. $2.7 million is lost productivity due to time away from school and work due to diseases caused by poor sanitation.
Lack of sanitation in Kenya costs billions. Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
Scarce supply
Millions of people in the world are already affected by water scarcity. The pressure on resources is increasing due to population growth, rapid urbanisation and more water-intensive consumption patterns. The majority of the increase in demand will fall on developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Water scarcity and stress are already a major problem for many, but they lack the infrastructure to deal with it. Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought for decades. More than ten million people rely on food assistance.
By 2030, if we continue down our current course, we may be facing a water shortage of 40 percent. Water scarcity and poor sanitation will only exacerbate regional problems and undermine global efforts for sustainable development.
Water is an important factor in the development of all social and economic aspects. Water is a very useful tool for addressing many global problems.
