New York, 23 March 2023 (TDI): The European Union (EU) is participating in the UN Water Conference in New York. The conference is taking place in New York from 22-24 March 2023, co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands
The UN Water Conference is also known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028).
The conference envisions rolling out the plan for accelerated actions for clean water and sanitation for everyone by 2023.
The EU presented 33 commitments including supporting water and sanitization for 70 million people, mobilizing finance, and reinforcing UN-backed multilateralism on the water.
Water is the lifeline of planet earth. Access to clean and adequate water is a fundamental human right. It is also essential for the economy, food, energy, and industry.
The global water stress level is increasing significantly. The matter is exacerbated due to water mismanagement, over demand, climate crisis, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and miscellaneous.
There is a pressing need for urgent global action. Without meticulous global policies about half of the world’s population will suffer from drastic water stress by 2030.
The conference highlighted the importance of water for its indispensable role in food security, energy security, health care, and peace owing to transboundary water cooperation, and a thriving healthy ecosystem.
Water is also critical to mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. Given the spiraling water stress, about 40% of the world’s population is currently affected by water scarcity.
Around 80% of the world’s wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment. Furthermore, 90% of disasters are water related.
Also read: EU to enhance sustainability and carbon-neutrality in Fisheries sector
The EU is committed to ensuring access to water as a basic human right. The EU vision for 2050 includes water security, global resilience to water stress, and protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems.
It is also resolute to establish a fair balance between water supply and demand. The EU envisages protecting human rights to safe drinking and sanitation without having to compromise on the rights of upcoming generations.
The EU has prioritized an integrated approach to the pragmatic management of water resources across all sectors. It further promotes circularity in water usage for industry, energy, and agriculture by increasing water efficiency and water reuse.
The EU is committed to advocating for shareable knowledge and mobilizing public and private finance and research and development.
