Less
than a month after the International Conference
on Freshwater, a UN conference sponsored by the
Germans, wrapped up in Bonn, the UN Environmental
Programme has launched a freshwater web site.
The web site, http://freshwater.unep.net,
was launched the first week of the new year,
and carries a summary of the Bonn conference
which took place December 3-7, 2001 (please
see www.earthtimes.org for archived articles),
as well as a look ahead to the next freshwater
conference to be held March 16-23 in Kyoto,
Shiga, and Osaka Japan.
In between, freshwater
will also be discussed
at the World Summit
on Sustainable Development
(WSSD), or the ten
year anniversary of
the Earth Summit that
was held in Rio di
Janeiro, Brazil in
1992. The WSSD, also
know as Rio+10, is
scheduled to be held
in Johannesburg, South
Africa this September.
"Managing the
planet's limited supplies
of freshwater is one
of the most important
issues we face in building
a sustainable future," said
Nitin Desai, Secretary-General
of the WSSD. "It
is crucial to understand
that freshwater is
an essential element
of life on earth. Clean
water supply can also
be strategically used
as a tool to improve
standards of living,
especially in rural
areas. A well managed
supply of clean water
supports crops, sustains
livelihoods, reduces
disease and ensures
that ecosystems are
safeguarded for the
future."
Water has been known
as a strangely unpopular
subject in comparison
with the high profile
issues such as AIDS,
and global warming.
But with two out of
three people in the
world potentially not
receiving enough clean
freshwater by 2025,
it is becoming an urgent
topic. Especially since
representatives in
Bonn agreed that, although
water is not considered
a human right by the
UN, the $70-80 billion
spent on water per
year globally is no
where near enough.
To provide clean and
safe drinking and farming
water to the 1.2 billion
worldwide that are
currently without potable
water, the Bonn representatives
estimated that $180
billion must be spent.
Ten years ago water
was hardly discussed
at the Earth Summit,
with the Germans and
British taking the
lead, it promises to
be a major issue at
the WSSD.
At the original Earth
Summit an A list of
important issues for
the world's leaders
to tackle was drawn
up; Agenda 21. Chapter
18 of this Agenda addresses
freshwater. As the
web site notes, it
was a call to action
to protect the quality
and supply of one of
the basic necessities
for human survival:
- Freshwater resources
are essential and
indispensable part
of all terrestrial
ecosystems.
- Water is needed
in all aspects of
life.
- The currently poor
and deteriorating
state of water resources
in many parts of
the world demand
integrated water
resources planning
and management.
- Transboundary water
resources and their
use are of great
importance to States
sharing river systems.
But as disease and
famine have become
increasing concerns
in the past decade,
especially in parts
of Africa, water is
often at the root of
both; it is also the
root, in many cases
of poverty. Almost
70 percent of water
consumed world wide
does not go into thirsty
mouth, but to thirsty
plants. But bad water
can kill the plant,
or taint the food source
being grown. This effects
not only industry,
but health.
"
Not enough has been
done to tackle the
scandalous situation
of 1.2 billion people
in the world living
without clean water
and 2.4 billion without
adequate sanitation," said
Joanne Green, from
Tearfund, a freshwater
nongovernmental organization. "Some
countries have been
dragging their feet
over the water and
sanitation crisis,
but the time has now
come for meaningful
international action."
|
