This World Water Day is about accelerating change to solve the water crisis.
Water is one of the world´s most precious resources, making the Earth a unique planet filled with life. It is essential for food security, nutrition, health, energy, biodiversity, the environment and other economies.
Water is central to agriculture which accounts for 72 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, making it the largest water user by far. It is crucial for food production, enabling the production of over 95% of food on land. By 2050, to meet future demand, the global production of food, fiber and feed will need to increase by 50 percent compared to 2012. To meet this goal, 35 percent of additional water resources are needed.
However, freshwater resources have been declining in all regions of the world in the past 30 years and global water availability and quality are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Water challenges such as droughts and floods are increasing due to climate change and are putting the planet’s water resources under increasing stress. Mismanagement of water resources combined with pollution has intensified water stress and degraded water-related ecosystems, leading to negative impacts on human health, economic activities, food and energy supplies, and decline of aquatic biodiversity.
Right now, we are seriously off-track on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 as part of the 2030 Agenda – the promise that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030.
We need to accelerate change, to go beyond “business as usual”
Governments have to work, on average, four times faster to achieve SDG 6 on time, but governments alone can not solve this problem.
Water affects everyone, and everyone has to take actions. Individuals, families, schools and communities can make a difference by changing the way we use, consume and manage water in our lives; companies can make a difference by changing the way we use water in our factories and along the supply chain. The actions we take – no matter how small the action is – can help solve the water crisis.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite around water and accelerate progress together.
Play your part by doing what you can. Be the change you want to see in the world!
Eight actions we can all take to save water
17/03/2023
Launch of the UN World Water Development Report
Join the launch of the UN World Water Development Report 2023 on “Partnerships and cooperation for water” on 22 March 2023, 11:00-12:15 (EST) at UN headquarters, NY and online here.