On Wednesday, the United Nations held its first water conference in nearly 50 years in New York. It urged nations to work together to address overconsumption, water-intensive industries, and the climate crisis or face more hunger, conflicts, and forced migration as water scarcity worsens.

Overview

Despite progress in recent years, the climate crisis is exacerbated by a quarter of the world’s population still lacking basic sanitation and access to safe drinking water. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, stated, ” We are depleting and vaporizing humanity’s heart and soul through immortal overconsumption and unsustainable use.”

Governments must develop and implement plans that preserve this precious resource while ensuring equitable access to water for all people. They are pushing to privatize water and sanitation services worldwide.

The African Development Bank’s director of water development and sanitation, Osward Chanda, stated: The confidential area is not a discount arrangement or a panacea to every one of our concerns. However, they have assets and skills that can have an effect.”

End Note

The UN special rapporteur on the human rights to water, Pedro Arrojo, helped launch the water justice manifesto on Tuesday. It argues that personal and domestic needs must precede industrial use and profits, and access to water and sanitation is a fundamental human right.