World Leaders Call for Action on Water

The High Level Panel on Water, consisting of 11 sitting Heads of State and Government and one Special Adviser, issued a Call to Action for a fundamental shift in the way the world looks at water.

The Panel aims to mobilize effective action and advocate on financing and implementation to increase access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for all, and to improve the sustainable management of water and sanitation (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6)), as well as to contribute to the achievement of the other SDGs that rely on the development and management of water resources.

In a Joint Statement, the Panel, which is jointly convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, recognized both the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and the need for all to take responsibility for managing water better. The need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to water, as well as increased attention and investment in water-related services, are at the heart of the Call.

The Panel presented the Action Plan which outlines new initiatives and investments that can put the world on the path to meet the SDG6 and related targets. The Panel Members committed to lead the way and encouraged other Heads of State and Government to do the same.

Currently, more than two billion people are affected by water stress, a figure that is expected to rise in coming decades due to growing demands on water supplies and the increasing effects of climate change.

While 6.6 billion or 91% of the world’s people used an improved drinking water source in 2015- up from 82% in 2000-an estimated 663 million people were still using unimproved sources or surface water.

Moreover, not all improved sources are safe. For instance, in 2012 an estimated 1.8 billion people were exposed to drinking water sources contaminated with fecal matter. As of 2015, 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, with 946 million people still practicing open defecation.

"The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promises to leave no one behind in access to basic services, including water and sanitation. Realizing this vision requires a comprehensive approach based on human rights principles," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"The consequences of water shortage are costly today, but will be exponentially more expensive in the future," said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. "Economic growth in some regions could be cut by as much as 6 percent because of water scarcity alone.

"The High Level Panel on Water is critically important because the world needs leadership at the highest political level to usher in policies that support a more sustainable use of water," Jim Yong Kim added.

Source : QNA