Nearly a quarter of the world is without access to clean water.
The United Nations World Water Development Report 2023 was released on Tuesday and revealed that a significant portion of the world’s population does not have clean water or sanitation.
This report was discussed in detail during the three-day U.N. 2023 Water Conference, held this week in New York for the first time in nearly 50 years. Other conversation topics on the conference agenda included water access, pollution, resources, and recycling.
According to the report, based on data from 2020, 2 billion people—26% of the global population—do not have access to clean water, and another estimated 3.6 billion—46% of the global population—do not have access to proper sanitation. Water scarcity for the global urban population is also predicted to increase from affecting 933 million people in 2016 to as many as 2.4 billion in 2050.
The new report claims that global water use has steadily risen by 1% yearly for the past 40 years. The trend is expected to continue through 2050 due to population growth, economic development, and shifts in the water usage pattern.
Richard Connor, the report’s editor-in-chief, stated in a press release for the report that the situation must be addressed to avoid a “global crisis.”
Johannes Cullmann, special scientific advisor to the president of the World Meteorological Organization, said in the press release that investments must reach $600 billion-$1 trillion annually—quadruple the current amount—to satisfy the U.N’s Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks to provide these services globally.
Accomplishing this goal requires good relationships with investors, governments, and other related entities to sustainably and effectively manage the investments.
“Cooperation is the heart of sustainable development, and water is an immensely powerful connector,” said Cullmann. “We should not negotiate water; we should deliberate on it.”
A group of 19 independent U.N. experts also issued a joint statement on Wednesday encouraging measures to alleviate the situation and stressing that access to water is a basic human right.
“It is time to stop a technocratic approach to water and consider the ideas, knowledge and solutions of Indigenous Peoples, peasants, and local communities who understand local aquatic ecosystems to ensure sustainability of the water agenda,” the experts said in the statement.
Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, also issued an open letter ahead of the 2023 Water Conference. In it, he claimed that the conference is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to hasten solutions to the causes of water access issues such as climate change and poor water management.
“Effective water governance will ensure the needs of all segments of the population are addressed, including the most marginalized,” Türk wrote. “To ensure strengthened outcomes for all, the inclusion and meaningful participation of grassroots movements, water defenders and those traditionally left out of decision-making in, and implementation of, water governance is crucial.”
“Water is our common future and we need to act together to share it equitably and manage it sustainably,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, according to the UNESCO website. “As the world convenes for the first major United Nations conference on water in the last half century, we have a responsibility to plot a collective course ensuring water and sanitation for all.”
The 2023 Water Conference began on Wednesday and will conclude today.