The UN Water Conference also starts on Wednesday on Water Day. Access to water has been a human right since 2010 and the “Agenda 2030” aims to make this right available to all people by 2030. The drinking water should be “perfect and affordable” by then – implementation is still a long way off.
The conference, co-organized by Tajikistan and the Netherlands at UN headquarters, aims to draw attention to the importance of water. Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP), who will also travel to New York, stressed in advance that water “is a key element in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and is decisive for the health and prosperity of the whole world”. However, the UN water conference takes place at a critical moment in a deteriorating global water situation. “Two billion people worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water and nearly half of the world’s population, 3.6 billion people, lack safe sanitation.”
The UN Water Action Decade, which started on March 22, 2018 and ends in 2028, is also discussed. An improvement in the exchange of knowledge in the field of water and water protection, as well as the communication of sustainable development goals (SDGs) must be achieved here.
Dramatic situation in East Africa
The NGO Oxfam published a study on Wednesday showing that about one in five people in drought-stricken East Africa – that’s 33.5 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia alone – do not have enough clean drinking water. And the forecasts are gloomy, according to the aid and development organization, because according to the forecasts, there will be no rain in May for the sixth month in a row. The current drought is the longest since measurements began.
Extreme weather events make water scarcer, more unpredictable, more polluted or all at once, and the impact on the entire water cycle threatens sustainable development, biodiversity and people’s access to water and sanitation, the UN said.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
