Orange News: Water security is an urgent issue that needs immediate attention from world leaders and stakeholders. With over 100 countries represented and more than 600 voluntary commitments made, the United Nations Water Conference held in March 2023 marked a watershed moment in creating momentum for a coordinated response to the water crisis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres in opening remarks highlighted four water action agendas, which are, closing the water management gap, massively investing in water and sanitation systems, focusing on water resilience and addressing climate change.
The world experiences water scarcity that threatens the livelihoods and wellbeing of billions of people. According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services.
By 2025, half of the global population could be living in water-stressed areas. The impacts of climate change exacerbate water scarcity, with a projected 20-30% reduction in renewable freshwater resources in some regions. Experts warned that extreme weather events like droughts and floods will become more frequent in the future. The conference highlighted the need to integrate climate considerations into water management strategies, and to promote water-efficient and climate-resilient practices.
Innovative Technologies as Solutions
The conference drew up a fleet of transformative solutions to address the water crisis, including technologies like seawater desalination. In a plenary panel discussion, Morocco shared a successful case using a sustainable water desalination plant in the southern city of Dakhla in cutting back the cost of water production to $0.29 per cubic meter.
Technology can play a significant role in addressing the global water crisis. Water conservation technologies, such as low-flow fixtures, smart irrigation systems, and leak detection systems, can help reduce water waste and promote efficient water use. Desalination technologies, including reverse osmosis, thermal desalination, and membrane distillation, can remove salt and other minerals from seawater or brackish water to produce fresh water. Water treatment technologies, such as filtration, chlorination, and ultraviolet disinfection, can improve the quality of wastewater and make it safe for reuse or discharge into the environment.
However, multiple water-efficient behaviors can only stave off water crisis, rather than tackling the root causes of it. Critics argue the conference did not go far enough to tackle the underlying social, economic, and political factors that restore water ecosystem. Water innovation alone does not turn voluntary commitments into progress and address complexities below a floating iceberg.
Water Governance and Multi-stakeholder partnership
Transnational efforts in the public eye have never come to grips with the water crisis. Conference participants stress the need for legally binding agreements to rigorously address systemic failures that perpetuate water insecurity. Upscaling cohesive actions and holding countries accountable reflect the gravity of global water challenges, such as devising an international water treaty to improve global access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Governments must enact laws and regulations that promote sustainable water management, protect water resources, and ensure access to water and sanitation for all. This includes investing in infrastructure for water supply, sanitation, and wastewater treatment, as well as promoting water-efficient practices in agriculture, industry, and households. Take agriculture as an example. Agriculture accounts for around 70% of global water withdrawals, with industries and households accounting for the remaining 30%. The world’s 37 largest aquifers are declining at an unsustainable rate, with most suffering from chronic stress and many being depleted faster than they can be replenished. Approximately 80% of wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment. Guterres in closing remarks urged the development of alternative food systems that reduces water’s unsustainable use in food production and agriculture.
Effective water governance, nevertheless, requires the participation of all stakeholders, including local communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector. As special envoy for water for the Netherlands Henk Ovink conceded, “We have fragmented water governance across the world, fragmented finance and not enough science and data in place.” Collecting precise and aggregated data at a localised level is crucial to inform decisions, in turn facilitating the implementation of science-based water policies. Involvements of business sectors are pivotal to ensure smooth coordination and financial viability in order to make this happen.
Ultimately, social and behavior change is always the simplest way to alleviate water shortages on the end-users’ side. Practicing water-saving techniques and educating the younger generation on the urgency bringing about the importance of water resources are a baby step, yet pivotal approach, to build water resiliency measures.
“Humans take more than their geological share of water, but they do not benefit from it equally”. The United Nations Water Conference held in March 2023 nudged the world in the right direction to address the global water crisis, but much more needs to be done. Innovative technologies can play a significant role in addressing the water crisis, but effective water governance and multi-stakeholder partnership are essential to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation, sustainable water use, and protection of water resources. It is only through a coordinated global response that we can address the scale of the water crisis and ensure a sustainable future for all.
Originally published on Orange News on 2 May 2023. Written by Lawrence Iu.
