Karin Gardes, Acting Executive Director of the Stockholm International Water Institute said that, despite criticism, the Water Action Agenda is a hugely valuable mosaic of water action already happening throughout various multi-stakeholder partnerships.
They also emphasized that the international community can no longer ignore the plight of small island developing States which are inevitably struck by crises beyond their control.
Many speakers said that the world is facing a profound water crisis, connected to other crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Panels were also held throughout the day, including “SDG 6 and interlinkages with other SDGs - Clean water and sanitation” “Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level” and “Small Island Developing States: From recovery to resilience in the face of multiple shocks”. She called for adequate adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures, strong transboundary water cooperation and mobilization of financing for water-related initiatives. However, Northern Africa and Western Asia experienced a concerning 18 per cent increase in water stress from 2015 to 2020, while 2.4 billion people worldwide lived in water-stressed countries in 2020.Īlso offering highlights of the report, Rola Dashti, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, voiced concern over a growing competition for increasingly scarce water resources in African, Arab, and Latin American regions, which poses a risk of conflict within and among communities and countries. Extreme weather events and climate change have resulted in water-related loss and damage across all regions, burdening countries already struggling with high debt. Presenting highlights regarding Goal 6 from the Secretary-General’s report on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (document E/2023/64), Daniel Eshetie, Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, reported that between 20, global access to safe drinking water increased from 69 per cent to 73 per cent, while access to sanitation services rose from 49 per cent to 57 per cent. Wealthy countries - whose economies are supported by small island developing States - have an obligation to help build their capacity. More debt is not the answer, he asserted, noting that these States need debt forgiveness and restructuring.
“Change is possible,” he declared, pointing to the synthesis report on Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), which describes good examples of countries that are making progress, like Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Rwanda, Chile and Croatia.Īlso delivering a keynote address on small island developing States’ resilience, Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Co-Chair of the High-Level Panel of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, said small island developing States are “literally drowning in debt” and the global financial system is not the life jacket that it pretends to be. Recalling the positive energy generated by the almost 10,000 participants of the recent United Nations 2023 Water Conference, he said it delivered a concrete result in the shape of the Water Action Agenda, with more than 800 commitments with game-changing potential. “Water is a connector, linking many sectors and all aspects of life,” said Jaap Slootmaker, Vice Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands, in his keynote address. Particular emphasis will be placed on trends and policies related to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy) Goal 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and Goal 17 (partnerships for the Goals and their linkages to other Goals).
WORLD OF TANKS OFFICIAL FORUMS FULL
Against the backdrop of intensifying climate change, conflicts and loss of biodiversity, the world is experiencing a water crisis, and small island developing States’ resiliency is profoundly impeded by extreme weather events and mounting debt, making achieving the Sustainable Development Goals more challenging than ever, speakers stressed, as the high-level political forum on sustainable development - held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council - continued its discussion today.Ĭonvened under the theme “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”, the forum - which runs until 20 July - will explore policies and transformations needed to overcome the multiple crises that continue to threaten decades of progress made in development around the world.
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