OKB: A quarter of the world's population without safe drinking water

A report released ahead of the first UN water conference in more than 45 years says 26% of the world's population does not have access to safe drinking water and 46% does not have access to basic sanitation. hygiene.

The UN's World Water Development Report 2023, released on Tuesday, paints a grim picture of the huge gap that needs to be bridged to meet the UN's goals of ensuring that all people have access to clean water and basic sanitation by 2030.

Richard Connor, the report's editor-in-chief, told a news conference that the estimated cost of meeting the targets is between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year.

But just as important, Mr Connor said, is creating partnerships with investors, funders, governments and communities affected by climate change, to ensure money is invested to sustain the environment and provide drinking water for 2 billion people that do not have it and sanitation for 3.6 million people in need.

According to the report, global water use has increased by approximately 1% per year over the past 40 years "and is expected to grow at a similar rate until 2050, driven by a combination of population growth, socio- economic and changing consumption structures.

Connor says that the current increase in demand is occurring in developing countries and emerging economies, where it is being driven by industrial growth and especially rapid population growth in cities. It is precisely in these urban areas that "we have a great increase in demand", he said.

As agriculture uses 70% of all water globally, Mr Connor said, crop irrigation needs to be more efficient. Some countries, he said, use efficient methods that save water without compromising supplies to cities.

As a result of climate change, the report says, "seasonal water scarcity will increase in regions where it is currently abundant – such as Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America – and worsen in regions where water is already scarce. absent, like the Middle East and the Sahara in Africa".

Mesatarisht, “10% e popullsisë së botës jeton në vende me mungesa të larta ose kritike uji. Deri 3.5 miliardë njerëz jetojnë në kushte me mungesa uji të paktën një muaj në vit, thuhet në raportin e lëshuar nga UNESCO.

Që nga viti 2000, përmbytjet në tropikë janë katërfishuar. Prirjet për thatësira janë më të vështira për t’u parashikuar, tha ai, “megjithëse një rritje në intensitetin e thatësirave dhe temperaturave ekstreme mund të pritet në shumicën e rajoneve si rezultat i drejtpërdrejtë i ndryshimit të klimës”.

Sa i përket ndotjes së ujit, tha zoti Connor, burimi më i madh i ndotjes janë ujërat e zeza të patrajtuara.

" Globally, 80% of wastewater is discharged untreated ," he said, " in many developing countries this rate is almost 99%."

These and other issues, including protecting water ecosystems, improving water resource management, increasing water reuse and promoting cross-border cooperation on water use will be discussed during the UN Water Conference co-chaired by King Willem -Alexander of the Netherlands and President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan. 171 countries and 20 organizations are participating in the conference that begins on Wednesday./VOA