Just before its three-day water conference, the UN denounced the “vampiric” use of water resources in the world. According to a Unesco status report prepared for the conference, water is the “life basis” of mankind. However, this is threatened by “vampiric overconsumption”.
26 percent of the world’s population has no access to clean drinking water. In addition, 46 percent lack basic sanitation. According to the data, ten percent of the world’s population live in countries with high or critical water access pressures – up to 3.5 million people lived in such conditions for at least one month a year.
The world is “walking blindly down a dangerous path,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Unsustainable water use, pollution and uncontrolled global warming are sucking away drop by drop the basis of human existence.”
According to experts, the report made it clear how far the world still is from the UN goals of giving everyone access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. Richard Conor, the report’s editor-in-chief, said the estimated cost of achieving the goals ranged from $600 billion to $1 trillion annually.
The report came just ahead of the three-day UN water conference that begins Wednesday. Around 6,500 participants are expected to attend, including 20 heads of state and government, dozens of ministers and hundreds of representatives from business and civil society. Germany is represented by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens). According to Guterres, the summit should draw up an ambitious program with concrete proposals for action.
So far there is no international treaty on the subject and no UN water organization. The last water conference of a similar size was held in Argentina in 1997.
