Implementing Sustainable Water Management for Ensuring Water for All

One of the most important resources and essential needs for us and for any living being is in crisis because of our mismanagement. We may not trust or believe, but the global water crisis is alarming, as according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.4 million people die annually and 74 million will have their lives shortened by diseases related to poor water, sanitation, and hygiene. According to WHO and UNICEF, today, 1 in 4 people—2 billion people worldwide—lack safe drinking water, and almost half of the global population—3.6 billion people—lack safe sanitation.

Aims of World Water Day

The World Water Day (WWD is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis, which is observed on March 22. Dysfunction throughout the water cycle undermines progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disasters to peace. In 2015, the world committed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 as part of the 2030 Agenda—the promise that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030.

The tragedy is that we are seriously off-track and unable to achieve the targets that were marked a few years ago globally, as billions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms, and factories are being held back because their human rights to water and sanitation still need to be fulfilled, which shows that there is an urgent need to accelerate water conservation steps—to go beyond ‘business as usual.’

What needs to be done

The latest data show that governments must work on average four times faster to meet SDG 6 on time, but this is not a situation that any single actor or group can solve. We are aware that water affects everyone, so we need everyone to take action. The United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) is UN-Water’s flagship report on water and sanitation issues. Its 2023 edition, Partnerships and Cooperation for Water, will be launched on WWD, and it will give policy recommendations to decision makers by offering best practices and in-depth analyses. The report is published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water. Every year since 1993, WWD has raised awareness and inspired action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is a United Nations observance coordinated by UN-Water.

The Secretary-General of the UN said in his message, “Water is the lifeblood of our world. From health and nutrition to education and infrastructure, water is vital to every aspect of human survival and wellbeing, as well as the economic development and prosperity of every nation. But drop by drop, this precious lifeblood is being poisoned by pollution and drained by vampiric overuse, with water demand expected to exceed supply by 40 per cent by the decade’s end.” “World Water Day reminds us of our individual and collective roles to protect, sustainably use, and manage humanity’s lifeblood for present and future generations. We don’t have a moment to lose,” he added.

We are aware that climate change is primarily a water crisis. We feel its impacts through worsening floods, rising sea levels, shrinking ice fields, wildfires, and droughts. Sustainable water management is central to building the resilience of societies and ecosystems and reducing carbon emissions.

Importance of water cycle in ecosystem

Life on Earth depends on healthy ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems, such as wetlands, rivers, mangroves, and aquifers, are a critical part of the global water cycle, supplying, purifying, and protecting freshwater resources. Mismanagement combined with climate change is devastating many ecosystems, undermining their ability to provide freshwater ‘services’, which threatens the health of human societies and natural environments.

Around 74% of all natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 were water-related, and during the past 20 years, the total number of deaths caused only by floods and droughts exceeded 166,000, while floods and droughts affected over three billion people and caused total economic damage of almost $700 billion. The number of weather-related disasters—floods, droughts, storms, and extreme temperatures—has increased by a factor of five over the past 50 years, claiming, on average, the lives of 115 people and causing $202 million in economic losses every day.

Conclusion

Water conservation should be the duty of everyone. In spite of having water bodies in our region, we have failed to manage them properly. People are buying drinking water and water for other uses. We must be concerned and ensure that drinking water is easily available for everyone and that there is no wastage of water. Let’s take a pledge and take action to protect, sustainably manage, and ensure equitable access to water for all of us with sustainable water management.