The United Nations opened its first water conference in almost half a century in New York on Wednesday, with a plea for countries to work together to tackle overconsumption, water guzzling industries and the climate crisis – or else face more hunger, conflicts and forced migration due to worsening water scarcity.
A quarter of the world’s population still does not have access to safe drinking water while half lacks basic sanitation, and despite some progress in recent years, the climate crisis is making the situation worse.
“We are draining humanity’s lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating,” said UN secretary general António Guterres. “Governments must develop and implement plans that ensure equitable water access for all people while conserving this precious resource.”
Universal access to clean drinking water and sanitation is one of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) created through the UN process in 2015, alongside ending hunger and poverty, achieving gender equality, and taking action on climate change.