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New York, March 24 – Dubbed as a once-in-a-generation international conference, the U.N. 2023 Water Conference closed with the adoption of a Water Action Plan, which contains almost 700 commitments to protect “humanity’s most precious global common good.”

The U.N. said the agenda is a guide for action-oriented game changing commitments, from making smarter food choices to re-evaluating water as a powerful economic driver, and part of the Earth’s cultural heritage. The agenda also calls for action to protect the spread of disease to fighting poverty, the natural resource also flows through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when the world is grappling with climate change, water scarcity and pollution.

Read the Water Action Decade

“Your dedication to action and transformation is propelling us towards a sustainable, equitable and inclusive water-secure future for people and planet alike,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said of the estimated 2,000 participants to the highly anticipated conference. The last one was held 46 years ago.

“This conference demonstrated a central truth: as humanity’s most precious global common good, water unites us all, and it flows across a number of global challenges.” He said. “That’s why water needs to be at the center of the global political agenda,” he said. “All of humanity’s hopes for the future depend, in some way, on charting a new science-based course to bring the Water Action Agenda to life.”

U.N. General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi said the $300 billion in pledges made to buoy the transformative Water Action Agenda has the potential of unlocking at least $1 trillion of socioeconomic and eco-system gains, U.N. News reported.

“The outcome of this conference is not a legally binding document, but it still turns the page of history,” Korosi said in closing remarks. “You have reconfirmed the promise to implement the human right to water and sanitation for all.”

“We will keep our ears and minds open to scientific evidence as we move forward to realize the transformation discussed,” he said. “Today, we hold the pieces of a water-secure and more peaceful world in our hands. Together, we can launch the transformation for a water-secure world, and these gamechangers can take us there.”

How can you help? (From U.N. News)

Here’s a sampling from the UN’s #WaterAction guide:

💧 Turn off those appliances, computers and other tech, when you’re not using them. Currently, 90 per cent of power generation is water intensive. Turning off devices when they are not in use means less energy needs to be produced. 

💧 Build up a head of steam over the issue. Write to elected representatives about budgets for improving water conservation at home and abroad.

💧 Create an action list. Choose and share what you are going to do to help solve the water and sanitation crisis, right here.

💧 Get informed. Explore the water and sanitation crisis, read inspirational stories from around the world, read a book from the suggested SDG Book Club list, and follow your local news on water supply issues and check out SDG 6 online or on social media at @GlobalGoalUN.

💧 Use your social media voice. Amplify messages promoting SDG 6, participate in #WorldWaterDay to generate debate and raise awareness, available here. www.worldwaterday.org/share

💧 Shop sustainably. The 10,000 litres of water used to produce a pair of jeans is the same amount the average person drinks in a decade.

World leaders tackle global water shortage; billions of people without safe water

New York, March 22 – Leaders of government and organizations showed up in force at a U.N.-led conference to find urgent solutions to the global water shortage crisis, which has deprived safe water to billions of people and caused an estimated over 800,000 people to die each year from diseases directly tied to unsafe water and poor hygiene practices.

The U.N. World Water Development Report 2023, which sets the goals to be achieved at the conference March 22 to 24 at the U.N. headquarters in New York, said global water use has increased by about 1 per cent annually in the past five decades. It said water use is expected to “grow at a similar rate through to 2050, driven by a combination of population growth, socio-economic development and changing consumption patterns.”

Richard Connor, leader of the report, said the estimated cost of meeting the goals of bringing safe water to the world population by 2030 is between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year. He said meeting the goals would require forging partnerships with investors, financiers, governments and climate change communities.

The report said 2 billion out of the world population of 8 billion people do not have safe drinking water and 3.6 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation. The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to potentially double from 930 million in 2016 to between 1.7 and 2.4 billion people in 2050.

The report said extreme and prolonged droughts are stressing the ecosystems leading to dire consequences for both plant and animal species.

The U.N. Development Program (UNDP), which leads U.N. development activities worldwide, said the global water crisis constitutes a real risk to progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One of the goals, SDG 6, calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. UNDP said climate change, pollution and mismanagement of resources have sharply decreased water access and security every day.

UNDP said currently half of the world population, four billion people, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year. About half a billion face water scarcity year-round. Approximately 4.2 billion lack sanitation, 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water, and 700 million people could be displaced due to scarcity of water by 2030, 250 million in Africa alone. 

Read the UN 2023 Water Conference program.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio  Guteres said in an opening address to the conference that water is a human right and it is “a common development denominator to shape a better future. But water is in deep trouble. We are draining humanity’s lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating. We’ve broken the water cycle, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated groundwater. “

“This conference must represent a quantum leap in the capacity of member states and the international community to recognize and act upon the vital importance of water to our world’s sustainability and as a tool to foster peace and international co-operation,” he said. 

Guterres called for closing the water gap, massive investment in water and sanitation systems, focusing on resilience and addressing climate change.

While calling on governments and civil society worldwide to attend the conference, the U.N. said the water crisis is threatening sustainable development, biodiversity and people’s access to water and sanitation. The last such conference was held 46 years ago.

Studies carried out in past decades by universities and responsible organizations showed that over half of the world population are concerned about fresh water shortages and the link between climate change and drought. The water crisis is derailing efforts and progress in providing universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.

“Water supports all aspects of life on earth, and access to safe and clean water is a basic human right,” the U.N. said. “However, decades of mismanagement and misuse have intensified water stress, threatening the many aspects of life that depend on this crucial resource.”

The most recent State of the Climate Services on Water report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said floods have increased by 134 per cent and the duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000.

Conference participants are called to agree on a Water Action Agenda that will specify urgent actions to deal with the crisis and achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is universal access by people to safe water and sustainable management of water and sanitation by all by 2030. The Conference will feature five “interactive dialogues” to strengthen and accelerate action for key water areas, as reported by U.N. News.

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New York, March 21 – A United Nations-led conference will tackle the global water crisis as billions of people still lack access to safe water and an estimated over 800,000 people died each year from diseases directly tied to unsafe water and poor hygiene practices.

While calling on governments and civil society worldwide to attend the 2023 U.N. Water Conference, March 22-24 at UN headquarters in New York, the U.N. said the water crisis is threatening sustainable development, biodiversity and people’s access to water and sanitation. The last such conference was held 46 years ago.

Studies carried out in past decades by universities and responsible organizations showed that over half of the world population are concerned about fresh water shortages and the link between climate change and drought. The water crisis is derailing efforts and progress in providing universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.

“Water supports all aspects of life on earth, and access to safe and clean water is a basic human right,” the U.N. said. “However, decades of mismanagement and misuse have intensified water stress, threatening the many aspects of life that depend on this crucial resource.”

The most recent State of the Climate Services on Water report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said floods have increased by 134 per cent and the duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000.

Conference participants are called to agree on a Water Action Agenda that will specify urgent actions to deal with the crisis and achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is universal access by people to safe water and sustainable management of water and sanitation by all by 2030. The Conference will feature five “interactive dialogues” to strengthen and accelerate action for key water areas, as reported by U.N. News.

The five interactive dialogues are::1.Water for Health: Access to safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation, 2.Water for Sustainable Development: Valuing Water, Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Sustainable Economic and Urban Development., 4.Water for Cooperation: Transboundary and International Water Cooperation, Cross Sectoral Cooperation and Water Across the 2030 Agenda, 5.Water Action Decade: Accelerating the implementation of the objectives of the Decade, including through the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan.

Global survey: 58 per cent percent of people are seriously concerned about fresh water shortages

A new research from GlobeScan highlights the global impact of worsening water shortages which are disrupting societies, economies, the environment, and every aspect of life as we know it.

Fifty-eight per cent of people across the world are very concerned about fresh water shortages, while 30 per cent say they have personally been “greatly” impacted by a lack of fresh water. 

Additionally, climate change is strongly connected to water shortages, with nearly four in ten people who have been personally affected by climate change saying they experienced it through drought. Together with Circle of Blue and WWF, GlobeScan released these key water findings from its GlobeScan Radar Survey ahead of the U.N. Water Conference.

. Key research findings include: Fifty-eight percent of people globally believe that fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue. Mexicans, Colombians, and Brazilians report the most concern about access to water, while people in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea are the least likely to say fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue

Strong concern about fresh water shortages has increased over the past few years, from a low of 49 percent in 2014 to 61 percent in 2022 among 17 countries consistently tracked, along with concern about climate change (45% in 2014 to 65% in 2022).

People in Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam, Colombia, Germany, and Peru report the largest increases in concern about water shortages over the past year.

30 percent of people globally claim they are “greatly” personally affected by fresh water shortages, while a global majority feel at least moderately personally affected (56%). Only one-quarter (25%) say they are not affected at all.

Majorities of people surveyed in Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, and Turkey say they are greatly personally affected by a lack of fresh water. In contrast, fewer than one in ten say they are greatly affected in Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Globally, people in urban areas (32%) are more likely than those in rural (28%) or towns and suburban areas (26%) to feel greatly affected by a lack of fresh water.

As many as 38 percent of people say they have been “greatly” personally affected by climate change, while as many as 75 percent have been at least “moderately” affected.  

People who say they have been personally affected by climate change often mention drought as one of the ways they have been impacted; 37 percent of those experiencing climate change personally claim this is through experiencing drought.

“We are seeing a rare convergence, when public opinion is aligning with profound realities as the world faces compounding water challenges that are affecting how we grow our food, generate our power, and support a sustainable economy and environment,” said J. Carl Ganter, Managing Director at Circle of Blue. 

“This survey of some 30,000 people definitively shows that citizens around the world are feeling and talking about the effects of water and climate stress. On the eve of the UN Water Conference, this is a crucial barometer that reveals increasing public demand for action from political and corporate leaders,” Ganter said.

Alexis Morgan, WWF Global Water Stewardship Lead comments: “Water doesn’t come from a tap – it comes from nature. But with nature loss and climate instability increasing, water scarcity will only worsen, impacting societies and economies across the globe. Yet through collaboration, restoring wetlands, re-connecting rivers, and replenishing aquifers, we have proven ways to tackle these shared water challenges. It’s time to urgently invest in these solutions.”

Perrine Bouhana, Director at GlobeScan comments: “It comes as no surprise that people are becoming more and more worried about the availability of fresh water. Last year droughts affected the lives of countless numbers of people on every continent. Indicators suggest this is likely to get worse. High levels of public concern about water means there is an opportunity right now for governments and NGOs to help people and businesses understand how their actions can genuinely make a difference to this globally important problem that affects all of us.”

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Needed to provide safe water to roughly 2 billion people without it: an annual investment less than half the US$ 270 billion now spent each year on bottled water.

In brief:

• The bottled water industry is helping to mask a crippling world problem: the failure of public systems to supply reliable drinking water for all, a key SDG target.
• Some private firms take a public good at little cost, treat it, and sell it back to those who can afford it. Ironically, many cases from 40 countries show the product is not always safe, with companies largely scrutinized far less than public utilities.
• The fast-growing problem of water bottle plastic waste is already enough every year to fill a line of 40-ton trucks from New York to Bangkok.
• With global sales of bottled water expected to almost double to half a trillion dollars by 2030, it is more important than ever to strengthen regulation of the overall industry.
• The industry’s growth further underlines global inequities and the need for universal access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water as a basic human right.

The full report, “Global Bottled Water Industry: A Review of Impacts and Trends,” by Zeineb Bouhlel, Jimmy Kopke, and Vladimir Smakhtin of the UN University Institute of Water Environment and Health, and Mariam Mina of McMaster University, is available for preview at https://bit.ly/3Z05gpM
Figures in the study are available for download at https://bit.ly/3JxBDXT
Contacts: Terry Collins
+1-416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc
Zeineb Bouhlel, +1-905-667-5511, zeineb.bouhlel@unu.edu

HAMILTON, Canada, March 16 – The rapidly-growing bottled water industry can undermine progress towards a key sustainable development goal: safe water for all, says a new United Nations report.

Based on an analysis of literature and data from 109 countries, the report says that in just five decades bottled water has developed into “a major and essentially standalone economic sector,” experiencing 73% growth from 2010 to 2020. And sales are expected to almost double by 2030, from US$ 270 billion to $500 billion.

Released a few days prior to World Water Day (March 22), the report by UN University’s Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health concludes that the unrestricted expansion of the bottled water industry “is not aligned strategically with the goal of providing universal access to drinking water or at least slows global progress in this regard, distracting development efforts and redirecting attention to a less reliable and less affordable option for many, while remaining highly profitable for producers.”

Says Kaveh Madani, UNU-INWEH’s new Director: “The rise in bottled water consumption reflects decades of limited progress in and many failures of public water supply systems.”

When the Sustainable Development Goals were agreed in 2015, he notes, experts elsewhere estimated an annual investment of US$ 114 billion was needed from 2015 to 2030 to achieve a key target: universal safe drinking water.

The report says providing safe water to the roughly 2 billion people without it woulds require an annual investment of less than half the US$ 270 billion now spent every year on bottled water.

“This points to a global case of extreme social injustice, whereby billions of people worldwide do not have access to reliable water services while others enjoy water luxury.”

Tap water perceptions. The study quotes surveys showing bottled water is often perceived in the Global North as a healthier and tastier product than tap water – more a luxury good than a necessity. In the Global South, sales are driven by the lack or absence of reliable public water supplies and water delivery infrastructure limitations due to rapid urbanization.

In mid- and low-income countries, bottled water consumption is linked to poor tap water quality and often unreliable public water supply systems – problems often caused by corruption and chronic underinvestment in piped water infrastructure.
Beverage corporations are adept at marketing bottled water as a safe alternative to tap water by drawing attention to isolated public water system failures, says UNU-INWEH researcher and lead author Zeineb Bouhlel, adding that “even if in certain countries piped water is or can be of good quality, restoring public trust in tap water is likely to require substantial marketing and advocacy efforts.”

Not necessarily safe. Dr. Bouhlel notes that the source of bottled water (municipal system, surface, etc.) the treatment processes used (e.g. chlorination, ultraviolet disinfection, ozonation, reverse osmosis), the storage conditions (duration, light exposure, temperature), and packaging (plastic, glass), can all potentially alter water quality. This may be inorganic (e.g. heavy metals, pH, turbidity etc.), organic (benzene, pesticides, microplastics, etc.) and microbiological (pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungus and parasitic protozoa).
According to the report, “the mineral composition of bottled water can vary significantly between different brands, within the same brand in different countries, and even between different bottles of the same batch.”

The report lists examples from over 40 countries in every world region of contamination of hundreds of bottled water brands and all bottled water types.

“This review constitutes strong evidence against the misleading perception that bottled water is an unquestionably safe drinking water source,” says Dr. Bouhlel.

Water bottlers generally face less scrutiny than public water utilities.
Co-author Vladimir Smakhtin, past Director of UNU-INWEH, underscores the report’s finding that “bottled water is generally not nearly as well-regulated and is tested less frequently and for fewer parameters. Strict water quality standards for tap water are rarely applied to bottled water, and even if such analyses are carried out, the results seldom make it to the public domain.”

Bottled water producers, he says, have largely avoided the scrutiny governments impose on public water utilities, and amid the market’s rapid growth, it is “probably more important than ever to strengthen legislation that regulates the industry overall, and its water quality standards in particular.”

With respect to the industry’s environmental impacts, the report says there is “little data available on water volumes extracted,” largely due to the lack of transparency and legal foundation that would have forced bottling companies to disclose that information publicly and assess the environmental consequences.”

“Local impacts on water resources may be significant,” the report says.

In the USA, for example, Nestlé Waters extracts 3 million litres a day from Florida Springs; in France, Danone extracts up to 10 million litres a day from Evian-les-Bains in the French Alps; and in China, the Hangzhou Wahaha Group extracts up to 12 million litres daily from Changbai Mountains springs.

Regarding plastic pollution, the researchers cite estimates that the industry produced around 600 billion plastic bottles and containers in 2021, which converts to some 25 million tonnes of PET waste – most of it not recycled and destined for landfills – a mass of plastic equal to the weight of 625,000 40-ton trucks, enough to form a bumper-to-bumper line from New York to Bangkok.

According to the report, the bottled water sector used 35% of the PET bottles produced globally in 2019; 85% wind up in landfills or unregulated waste.

By the numbers
Among the report’s many insights, derived from data analysis and other information assembled from global studies and literature:

• Over 1 million bottles of water are sold worldwide every minute
• Annual spending per capita worldwide is US$ 34
• Worldwide annual consumption of the three main bottled water types – treated, mineral, and natural – is estimated at 350 billion litres
• The estimated US $1.225 trillion in bottled water revenues represent 17 to 24% of the global market for non-alcoholic packaged beverages
• The biggest market segment (with 47% of global sales) is treated bottled water, which could originate from public water systems or surface water, and that undergoes a disinfection treatment such as chlorination• Citizens of Asia-Pacific are the biggest bottled water consumers, followed by North Americans and Europeans
• 60% of global sales are in the “Global South” (Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean)
• By country, the USA is the largest market, with around US$ 64 billion in sales, followed by China (almost US$ 45 billion) and Indonesia (US$ 22 billion). Together, these three countries constitute almost half of the world market. Other top countries by sales: Canada, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Thailand, Mexico, Thailand, Italy, Japan
• The average cost of a bottle of water in North America and Europe is around US$ 2.50, more than double the price in Asia, Africa and LAC ($0.80, $0.90 and $1, respectively). Australia, the fifth largest market, has the highest average price: $3.57 per unit.
• Bottled water per litre can cost 150 to 1,000 times more than the price a municipality charges for tap water.
• Biggest per capita consumers: Singapore and Australia. Citizens of Singapore spent $1,348 per capita on bottled water in 2021, Australians $386
• According to previous studies, about 31% of Canadians, 38% of Americans, and 60% of Italians use bottled water as their primary drinking source. In the Dominican Republic, 60% of households use bottled water as their primary water source, with a strong correlation between income and bottled water consumption. About 80% of Mexicans use bottled water, and 10% use home-purified water as their primary drinking water source; roughly 90% cite health concerns for doing so
• Egypt is the fastest-growing market for treated bottled water (40% per year). Seven other countries from the Global South are among the top 10 fastest-growing markets: Algeria, Brazil, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, India, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
• In Europe, Germany is the biggest bottled water market; in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico is the biggest market; in Africa, it’s South Africa.
• Treated water appears to be the market’s largest component by volume, while natural waters appear to generate the most profit.
• Five companies – PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé S.A., Danone S.A, and Primo Corporation have combined sales of $65 billion, over 25% of the global total
• Earlier studies of water withdrawals declared in India, Pakistan, Mexico and Nepal showed total estimated withdrawals by Coca-Cola and Nestlé in 2021 at 300 and 100 billion litres, respectively

These and other figures used in the study are available at https://bit.ly/3JxBDXT

The UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, a member of the UNU family of organizations, is the United Nations Think Tank on Water created by the UNU Governing Council in 1996.

Its mission is to help resolve pressing water challenges of concern to the UN, its Member States and their people, through the knowledge-based synthesis of existing bodies of scientific discovery; cutting-edge targeted research that identifies emerging policy issues; application of on-the-ground scalable solutions based on credible research; and relevant and targeted public outreach.

UNU-INWEH is hosted by the Government of Canada and McMaster University. http://bit.ly/1vjfKAS

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Note: Amongst other findings, the research shows 58 per cent of people are seriously concerned about fresh water shortages and 30 percent say they have been greatly impacted by a lack of fresh water. This new survey of almost 30,000 people from 31 countries was conducted by sustainability consultancy, GlobeScan, and is being released together with Circle of Blue and WWF.

A press release is below with full details including more data broken down by country as well as globally and quotes from J. Carl Ganter, (Managing Director, Circle of Blue), Alexis Morgan, (WWF Global Water Stewardship Lead) and Perrine Bouhan (Director at GlobeScan.) Interviews, images and footage are available as well as additional data broken down by country on request.

This announcement also coincides with GlobeScan’s latest webinar “The Future of Water: Insights to Help You Stay Ahead of What’s Next”. Further information and registration details are available here: 

Andrew Marcus on behalf of GlobeScan

PRESS RELEASE

WORRIES ABOUT WATER SHORTAGES ON THE RISE, SAYS NEW GLOBAL SURVEY

Fifty-eight percent of people are seriously concerned about fresh water shortages, according to research published ahead of the UN Water Conference

With the world gathering in New York next week for the first UN Water Conference in 46 years, new research from GlobeScan highlights the global impact of worsening water shortages which are disrupting societies, economies, the environment, and every aspect of life as we know it.

Fifty-eight percent of people across the world are very concerned about fresh water shortages, while 30 percent say they have personally been “greatly” impacted by a lack of fresh water. 

Additionally, climate change is strongly connected to water shortages, with nearly four in ten people who have been personally affected by climate change saying they experienced it through drought. 

Together with Circle of Blue and WWF, GlobeScan is releasing these key water findings from its GlobeScan Radar Survey ahead of the UN Water Conference from March 22nd to 24th where governments and companies must commit to urgent action to tackle the world’s water crises.  

Key research findings include:

• Fifty-eight percent of people globally believe that fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue. Mexicans, Colombians, and Brazilians report the most concern about access to water, while people in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea are the least likely to say fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue.
• Strong concern about fresh water shortages has increased over the past few years, from a low of 49 percent in 2014 to 61 percent in 2022 among 17 countries consistently tracked, along with concern about climate change (45% in 2014 to 65% in 2022).
• People in Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam, Colombia, Germany, and Peru report the largest increases in concern about water shortages over the past year.
• 30 percent of people globally claim they are “greatly” personally affected by fresh water shortages, while a global majority feel at least moderately personally affected (56%). Only one-quarter (25%) say they are not affected at all.
• Majorities of people surveyed in Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, and Turkey say they are greatly personally affected by a lack of fresh water. In contrast, fewer than one in ten say they are greatly affected in Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.
• Globally, people in urban areas (32%) are more likely than those in rural (28%) or towns and suburban areas (26%) to feel greatly affected by a lack of fresh water.
• As many as 38 percent of people say they have been “greatly” personally affected by climate change, while as many as 75 percent have been at least “moderately” affected.  
• People who say they have been personally affected by climate change often mention drought as one of the ways they have been impacted; 37 percent of those experiencing climate change personally claim this is through experiencing drought.

“We are seeing a rare convergence, when public opinion is aligning with profound realities as the world faces compounding water challenges that are affecting how we grow our food, generate our power, and support a sustainable economy and environment,” said J. Carl Ganter, Managing Director at Circle of Blue. 

“This survey of some 30,000 people definitively shows that citizens around the world are feeling and talking about the effects of water and climate stress. On the eve of the UN Water Conference, this is a crucial barometer that reveals increasing public demand for action from political and corporate leaders,” Ganter said.

Alexis Morgan, WWF Global Water Stewardship Lead comments: “Water doesn’t come from a tap – it comes from nature. But with nature loss and climate instability increasing, water scarcity will only worsen, impacting societies and economies across the globe. Yet through collaboration, restoring wetlands, re-connecting rivers, and replenishing aquifers, we have proven ways to tackle these shared water challenges. It’s time to urgently invest in these solutions.”

Perrine Bouhana, Director at GlobeScan comments: “It comes as no surprise that people are becoming more and more worried about the availability of fresh water. Last year droughts affected the lives of countless numbers of people on every continent. Indicators suggest this is likely to get worse. High levels of public concern about water means there is an opportunity right now for governments and NGOs to help people and businesses understand how their actions can genuinely make a difference to this globally important problem that affects all of us.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Methodology Summary – The GlobeScan Radar survey is a global survey conducted online among samples of 1,000 adults in each of 31 countries and territories (1,500 in USA, 500 each in Hong Kong, Kenya, Nigeria, and Singapore, and 850 in Egypt), weighted to reflect general population census data. The research was conducted during June and July of 2022 with a total of 29,293 participants.  Participating markets include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam.

For more information contact:  Stacy Rowland Tel: +1 416 992 2705, stacy.rowland@globescan.com 

Laura Herd, Tel: +1 231 941 1355, laura@circleofblue.org 

Richard Lee, Tel: +31 6 54 287 956, rlee@wwfint.org 

About GlobeScan – GlobeScan is a global insights and advisory consultancy working at the intersection of brand purpose, sustainability, and trust. We partner with leading companies, NGOs, and governmental organizations to deliver insights that guide decision-making and build strategies that contribute to a sustainable and equitable future.

We combine over 35 years of data-driven insights with a global network of experts and the ability to engage any stakeholder or consumer. Our unique research programs and global capabilities help to know what’s new, what’s next, and what’s needed. And our advisory services help turn that knowledge into smart, strategic decisions.

Established in 1987, we have offices in Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, and Toronto. As a proudly independent, employee-owned company, we’re invested in the long-term success of our clients and society. GlobeScan is a Certified B Corp and a participant of the United Nations Global Compact.

Learn more: www.globescan.com 

About Circle of Blue – Circle of Blue is the nonprofit newsroom that reports globally about the intersection of water, food, and energy in the changing climate. It received the Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Innovation Award for creating a new model of impact journalism and convening.

Learn more: https://www.circleofblue.org/  

About WWF – WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.

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New York, March 13 – Technology is a double-edged sword and more solutions are needed to address violence and harassment against women in the digital age, the United Nations heard in a conversation led by the President of the General Assembly on harnessing technology’s potential to end gender-based violence.

The event – organized on International Women’s Day March 8 – heard from women from around the world who described being targets of online harassment and abuse. Business leaders and advocates also described digital innovations to keep women and girls safe, and local leaders who highlighted support for survivors of gender-based violence.

The event took place during the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters in New York from March 6 to 17.

“Violence is a crime, online and offline. And violence against women is a global epidemic,” Csaba Kőrösi, the President of the General Assembly, said.

“Transformation will happen anyway, but we have an opportunity to guide it, to make it sustainable and just, within societies, within groups and with gender equality at its center.”

The discussion on “the role of technology in addressing violence against women and girls” was held on the sidelines of the Commission on the Status of Women, the key intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, whose priority theme this year is on innovation and technology.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous noted that technology and innovation could close the gaps in reaching full equality for women much faster than the 286 years expected.

But she added that artificial intelligence that is driving much of today’s innovation is developed by men, “and women find themselves in the middle with no skills to design them, to develop them”.

“Even when they go into STEM, most of them will fail, not because of their aptitude, but because they have been conditioned to think this is not their space,” Ms. Bahous told the audience.

Participants also heard personal stories from senior officials in the Pacific and the Middle East of targeted social media campaigns harassing them for having high-level positions in Government.

According to a study released by UN Women and the Interparliamentary Union (IPU), only around 11.3 per cent of countries have women Heads of State and 9.8 per cent have women Heads of Government.

While the number of parliamentarians is higher than ever before, there are wide global disparities with European Nordic countries on one side of the scale and rankings in the Middle East and North Africa region at the other.

“If I had been in my country during that time, I would have been afraid of stepping outside my house,” one woman Ambassador said, noting that she had been targeted at least three times in such a campaign.

Another senior official said it took her months to recover from cyberbullying, during a time when some people committed suicide.

One of the main topics of discussion was domestic violence and support for survivors.

According to figures cited during the conversation, one woman is killed by a family member every 11 minutes, and one in three will experience violence in her lifetime.

Violence against women is often linked to stalking, according to Commissioner Cecile Noelfrom the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), who also participated in the conversation at the UN.

Commissioner Noel shared that her Office, in partnership with Cornell University and New York University’s Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA), launched an app that can tell when malware has been installed on the woman’s or her children’s phone, to limit stalking.

This innovation is being offered at New York City’s Family Justice Centers, established to support survivors and their children in New York’s five boroughs. President Kőrösi visited the Manhattan Center in late 2022, describing it as a place that made his “soul fly” to see the work done.

The conversation included Ministers and other senior Government officials who highlighted national support to survivors, including through toll free numbers.

“We cannot let women to fight alone, we cannot leave the victims to fight alone,” said Jeannette Bayisenge, Minister on Gender and Family Promotion in Rwanda.

Participating in the conversation were several representatives from the business sector. 

Among them Patricia Georgiou, Director of Policy, Partnerships and Business Development at Google’s Jigsaw, who spoke about the harassment experienced by women journalists and activists.

“For every voice we hear, there are countless others who have been erased, ultimately driving women off the internet. This leaves us all poorer economically, politically and culturally,” Ms. Georgiou noted.

She discussed the work that Google is doing to update its policies and algorithms to exclude revenge pornography, hate speech and violence – as well as the decision to publicly share its algorithms, and partnership with academia to fight misogyny. She also highlighted that half of their engineers were women.

Also on the technology side was Sara Wahedi who following a suicide explosion near her home in Kabul, created Ehtesab, a digital app that provides real-time emergency information to residents in Afghanistan.

She shared a message from Sahar, a female engineer who is still in Afghanistan where the Taliban has forbidden millions of female students from attending secondary schools and universities, or working outside of the home.

“She has no space to breath. She has the fundamental right, as I do, to pursue her education. So please do remember Sahab today,” Ms. Wahedi said, sharing the message with the room.

President Kőrösi asked Sara to relay a message back to Sahar: “We are with you.”

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Doha/New York, March 9 – The U.N. conference on the Least Developed Countries ended with member states committing to measures to deliver on the Doha Program of Action, a 10-year plan to put the world’s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bold commitments at the conference marked a transformative turning point for the world’s poorest countries, whose development has been hindered by crises including COVID-19, climate change and deepening inequalities, the U.N said in a press release.

“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Least Developed Countries is a litmus test for achieving the 2030 Agenda writ large, including by ensuring that no one — and no LDC — is left behind” said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. “That is why the Doha Program of Action must be seen as a vehicle for SDG Acceleration.”

Under the theme ‘From Potential to Prosperity’ the conference aimed to drive transformational change to positively affect the 1.2 billion people who live in the LDCs.

“The commitments made this week are a true embodiment of global solidarity and partnership and will pave the way for a new era of international cooperation,” said Rabab Fatima, Secretary General of the Conference and UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

“This will result in more of the Least Developed Countries achieving the goal of graduation and a more prosperous and sustainable future,” she said.

5,000 participants attended LDC5, including 47 Heads of State or Government and 130 Ministers and Vice-Ministers. They called for developed countries to urgently provide the most vulnerable countries with the assistance they need to drive socio-economic and environmental development. Corporate leaders together with civil society, youth and other partners shared plans, innovations, and recommendations in several areas: from enhancing the participation of LDCs in international trade and regional integration to addressing climate change, strengthening global partnerships, supporting graduation, and leveraging the power of science, technology, and innovation.

The Doha Political Declaration, adopted March 9, reinforces the international community’s commitment to the Doha Program of Action.

Commitments

The Conference has presented a unique opportunity to translate the vision of the Doha Program into tangible results with countries and stakeholders showcasing a host of commitments. These commitments range from improving biodiversity and tackling malnutrition to resilience building in the LDCs.

Qatar announced a financial package of $60 million: $10m to support the implementation of the Doha Program of Action and $50 million to help build resilience in the LDCs.  

Germany dedicated €200 million in new money in 2023 for financing for least developed countries.

Canada announced $59 million to deliver Vitamin supplements in 15 LDCs and ecosystem conservation in Burkina Faso.  

The EU Commission announced cooperation agreements advancing sustainable investments in Africa totaling more than €130 million of investment.

Finland announced an annual event called the United Nations LDC Future Forum in Helsinki, with the Office of the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States – OHRLLS –, to ensure the latest thinking and research is being put to work to ensure progress on the most vulnerable states.

The Green Climate Fund announced a new project to give $80 million in equity to offer green guarantees to business in LDCs and bring down the cost of capital.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization, announced a new €10 million Tourism for Development Fund for LDCs, supported by TUI Care Foundation, that will invest by 2030 to support sustainable tourism in LDCs as a key driver of development.

The government of Kazakhstan pledged $50,000 to continue their work supporting the most vulnerable member states of the United Nations.

The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a major new loan package for the Least Developed Countries.

The following 46 countries are listed as LDCs as of March 2023:

Africa (33): Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.

Asia (9): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Yemen

Caribbean (1): Haiti.

Pacific (3): Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

The U.N. said 46 countries are deemed as least developed as they showed the lowest indicators of socio-economic development across a range of indexes. The LDCs are home to about 1.1 billion people, or 14 per cent of the world population and over 75 per cent of them still live in poverty.

According to data from the World Bank, all LDCs have a gross national per capita income (GNI) of below USD$1,018; compare that to almost $71,000 in the United States, $44,000 in France, $9,900 in Turkey and $6,530 in South Africa.

Key LDC5 links

LDC5 Website: https://www.un.org/ldc5/

Doha Programme of Action: https://www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action

Doha Political Declaration: https://undocs.org/A/CONF.219/2023/L.1

Media Corner: https://www.un.org/ldc5/news

For more information, contact:

Conor O’Loughlin | LDC5 Spokesperson | conor.oloughlin@un.org

Sharon Birch | UN Department of Global Communications | birchs@un.org

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