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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