Water crunch looming, says UN

Lack of action on waste blamed

MARSEILLE (France): Water problems in many parts of the world are chronic and without a crackdown on waste will worsen as demand for food rises and climate change intensifies, the UN warned.

Issued on the eve of a six-day gathering on world water issues, the United Nations, in a massive report, said many daunting challenges lie ahead.

They include providing clean water and sanitation to the poor, feeding a world population set to rise from seven billion to nine billion by 2050 and coping with the impact of global warming.

“Pressures on freshwater are rising, from the expanding needs of agriculture, food production and energy consumption to pollution and the weaknesses of water management,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.

“Climate change is a real and growing threat. Without good planning and adaptation, hundreds of millions of people are at risk of hunger, disease, energy shortages and poverty.”

The World Water Development Report is issued every three years to coincide with the World Water Forum, which opened in this southern French city yesterday.

Written by experts in hydrology, economics and social issues under the aegis of Unesco, it aims

Without good planning and adaptation, hundreds of millions of people are at risk of hunger, disease, energy shortages and poverty. — BAN KI-MOON

to be the world’s reference manual for water.

One of the points made in the report was that about 2.5 billion people have no access to decent sanitation, a figure meaning that a key Millennium Development Goal for 2015 is likely to be missed. In contrast, UN estimates lastweek said a goal for improving access to clean water would be met.

The report places the spotlight on competition for water between cities, farmers and ecosystems, and between countries as well.

An estimated 148 states have international water basins within their territory and 21 countries lie entirely within them.

Even so, there seems no major risk of water wars, Olcay Unver, who coordinated the report, told journalists in Paris last week.