Document ActionsWater in the worldUp one levelDrinking water shortageIt hardly ever occurs to us, but "water" also has its limits, especially drinking water. Since 1975 the demand for water has doubled worldwide. We produce, harvest and draw water at a great pace to feed, dress and provide with comfort the rising number of people on our planet. Little progressConsidered globally, the percentage of "water-poor" remains approximately stable. In spite of the efforts that have been made during the two water decades to give everyone access to sufficient water by 2000, little progress is noticeable. The water crisisDespite the vital and irreplaceable character of drinking water 1.1 billion people still don’t have access to it. The lack of access to water especially touches people in rural areas and in the rapidly growing suburban areas of cities in Latin America, Asia and Africa. At the beginning of this century the lack of pure water worldwide is still the biggest cause of sickness and death, of absenteeism at work and at school. Water conflictsAt present innumerable communities are threatened by a shortage of water, which is a problem for the maintenance and further development of their prosperity and well-being and of international stability. Lack of water and povertyToday millions of people in the world still have to do serious financial and/or physical efforts to obtain water. As a consequence they have fewer opportunities to escape from poverty. Water as a human rightSince the international water conference in Dublin in 1992, the international community has continued to refuse (institutionally) to recognise the access to water as a human right, i.e. as a universal, impartible and untouchable right. Water, no commercial goodWater is extremely valuable. The scarcity of sufficient pure water makes it even more valuable. The multinational water companies have understood this too. The MDGsIn the Millennium Declaration, during the first General Assembly of the UN of this millennium in September 2000, 191 Heads of Government officially engaged the fight against extreme poverty in the world. Sustainable waterSustainability hasn’t always been a criteria in planning water projects. All over the world large dams have led to social and ecological disasters. More solidarity for waterThe Millennium Goals concerning access to safe drinking water (and the "World Summit on Sustainable Development"(WSSD)-goals concerning access to basic sanitary supplies) may not be limited to “the half of the world population that has no access to it”, but must be extended to the entire world population. |
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