Without a single drop of water, humanity is in danger of surviving – how to save the precious resource

The UN has called for immediate action to ensure water for the entire planet in the future.

It took about 20 years for the world to accept what former World Bank Vice President Ismail Serakeldin said in 1995: “If the wars of this century are fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water.” Real.

Although nothing is as obvious to us as the water we need for life like the air we breathe, few people know that about 1/9 of the world’s population does not have access to water, mainly in third world countries 5. Every year millions of people die from diseases related to polluted water, more than are killed in wars every year. Ten times more.

But it is shocking that by 2030, 47% of the world’s population will live in areas with severe water scarcity, and by 2040, one in four will have no access to water.

The UN’s warning signal

Given the above evidence, it is not surprising that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent warning that humanity is at risk of water scarcity and that an immediate “change of course” in managing this “valuable public good” is needed. Avoid worse.

“All humanity’s hopes for the future depend, in some measure, on a science-based change in attitude that will give life to the water action agenda,” as set out in the pledges made during a recent United Nations conference on the subject. he said characteristically.

The world is not on track to meet its 2030 water targets, particularly in terms of access to drinking water and sanitation for all.

“Now is the time to act,” he pointed out, criticizing humanity’s “vampire overconsumption” and the climate crisis it has caused.

action plan

From building toilets to restoring 300,000 kilometers of rivers, the “action plan” drawn up during the conference included nearly 700 pledges by NGOs, governments or the private sector.

However, “about one-third (of the pledges) will have a significant impact,” with less than one-third of specific funding reported, noted the World Resources Institute’s Charles Island.

But it was “a good start,” he added, referring to Germany’s plan to manage the Niger River basin in the nine countries it crosses.

In an effort to step up efforts, conference participants proposed the appointment of a UN special envoy for water, which Guterres said he was considering.

Shocking facts

In 2020, 2 billion people lacked access to safe, potable water and 3.6 billion lacked access to sanitation services, including 494 million forced to defecate in the open, according to recent UN figures. – Water platform.

At least two billion people drink water contaminated with faeces and 2.3 billion lack access to basic health services. Conditions favoring the spread of deadly diseases, cholera and dysentery.

UN climatologists (Giec) estimate that “half of the world’s population” will experience “severe” water shortages at least some time of the year, at a time when drought is increasing due to climate change.

That the world is now facing an imminent water crisis is confirmed by a new related report, which estimates that demand for fresh water will increase by 40% by the end of this decade.

Water wars

As Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and lead author of the report, notes GuardianCurrent neglect of the world’s water resources is leading to disaster.

“The scientific evidence says we have a water crisis. We’re misusing water, we’re polluting water and we’re changing the entire global hydrological cycle by what we’re doing to the climate. It’s a triple crisis.”

As water wars are considered a sure bet, even in the future, Peter Gleik, president of the Pacific Ocean Institute based in Oakland, clarifies that there are 3 types of conflict related to its scarcity, and sometimes it will be big. Palm 1) droughts can result in conflicts where tensions are related to access and control of water bodies 2) water can be used as a tool of conflict, including strategic water control and 3) water sources, water treatment structures or pipelines are deliberately targeted in ongoing wars.