By Leslie Pariseau
12 March 2009 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: A report launched at United Nations headquarters in New York this week predicts nearly two-thirds of the world will face water shortages by 2025 displacing anywhere from 24 to 700 million people. The World Water Development Report (WWDR-3) calls attention to the need for investment in water and better water management, particularly in those developing countries whose viability and success will depend on access to water.
The report states, “Water is linked to the crises of climate change, energy and food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets. Unless their links with water are addressed and water crises around the world are resolved, these other crises may intensify and local water crises may worsen, converging into a global water crisis and leading to political insecurity and conflict at various levels and disrupt the natural balance of water systems.”
16 March 2009 marks the beginning of the Fifth World Water Forum held in Istanbul, Turkey where the WWDR-3 will be presented and discussed throughout the week. The meeting will culminate on World Water Day, 22 March. The report is the third document of a unique and comprehensive three-pronged review performed every three years. This edition is entitled “Water in a Changing World.” Accompanied by a series of case studies called “Facing the Challenges,” the report is a collaboration amongst the agencies within UN-Water.
Presented at a time when the world population is expected to increase nearly 3 billion by 2050, the report seeks to clarify the facts and identify areas for improvement and investment. Almost 90 percent of this growth will take place in developing countries where access to safe water is not presently available. The UN’s mid-point review of the Millennium Development Goals shows some success in progress toward increased access to safe drinking water in these areas. Since 1990, 1.6 billion people have gained sustainable access, but such sharp rises in population will require a redoubling of efforts to keep up with the growing demand.
Currently, 4.4 billion people reside in regions prone to water scarcity for either environmental or economic reasons. These include Northern and sub-Saharan Africa and Western and Southern Asia. Investment in water technology and sustainability must play a significant role to ensure the stability of these places, especially in developing countries where the major constraint has been poverty and a lack of resources. The report asserts for every $1 invested in new and better water systems, $4-12 can be gained depending on the sort of technology employed.
Rick Connor facilitator for the Forum and one of the lead authors of the WWRD-3 told MediaGlobal investment in developing countries will be one of the central themes of discussion during the week. However, he speculates, “The question is whether those discussions about the need to increase investment for infrastructure will translate into greater funding. Overseas development aid for water is only at six percent right now. That is greatly inadequate.”
Connor emphasized the importance of developed nations’ ability to lend aid to poorer countries, which are prone to environmental stressors: “Water development in sub-Saharan Africa is vital for several reasons. First, it is home to some of the poorest countries in the world. [Second], it has some of the highest climate variability.” Indeed, this region regularly experiences frequent droughts and heavy floods, only exacerbated by water scarcity and climate change factors. Furthermore, as a continent, Africa faces the challenges of high disease rates, political unrest and extreme poverty. If rapid population growth is to continue and do so successfully, foreign and domestic aid must grow with it.
True enough, significant amounts of funding must be poured into infrastructure systems, but aid should also focus on those who carry the burden of providing water for their families. UN findings show women are more often the primary providers for water collection and are twice as likely to hold the role of water forager than men. Some businesses such as SaafWater in Pakistan have begun to focus on gender-related water issues training women to sell water-sanitizing kits within their communities. These programs serve the dual purpose of combining small business incentives with education while also providing a service to people in need of clean water.
Though a comprehensive analysis of the state of water today, the WWDR-3 report is also a call to action. It addresses the roles of governments, independent investors, businesses, NGOs, young people and even religious leaders. Echoing this summon for cooperation, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in anticipation of World Water Day stated, “Water is our most precious natural resource. More than ever we need to work together to use it wisely.”