The relationship between clean water and sanitation is strong. There is no cleanliness without water. Therefor, there is nothing on Earth as important as water; it is the lifeblood of our world and the mystery of existence. In addition, the emergence of civilizations is linked to the availability of water; the greatest civilizations were established on the banks of rivers and their continuity was linked to the abundance of clean water for food and drink, as well as for watering the animals and plants. Water conservation has been a fundamental and essential matter since ancient times, and it is still to this day.
Globally, the number of people without access to an improved source of water – clean water free of any external pollution – has halved over the past twenty-five years, the poorest countries are struggling to provide safe and clean water and sanitation for all their citizens in a sustainable manner. As a result, more than a quarter of the population in low-income countries and more than half of the population in lower-middle-income countries had access to improved sanitation facilities in 2015.
The delivery of water supply and sanitation is no longer just a challenge to secure an improved source, but it is intrinsically linked with climate change, water resource management, water scarcity, and water quality. Access to safe water and adequate sanitation is a basic human right and underpins success in development areas such as agriculture, energy, economy.
This is why Sustainable Development Goal 6 recognizes that sustainably managing water goes beyond simply providing a safe water supply and sanitation to address the broader water context, such as:
Many countries around the world are facing the threat of water scarcity prompting calls for efficient water use, while the demand for water continues to grow and the global per capita freshwater supplies have been nearly halved over the past 50 years. Today, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia are classified as water stressed-regions, with less than 1,700 cubic meters of water available per year per person.¹ Moreover, the use of water in agriculture and energy generation will exacerbate competition for water use, and the agricultural sector accounts for over 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals.¹
It is anticipated that by 2050, providing water for a planet living on increasing consumption will become a very difficult challenge, and it is also estimated that the demand for energy generation, which is water intensive, to increase by 35 percent and water withdrawals for energy generation are projected to grow by 20 percent over the next two decades.¹ Furthermore, climate change is expected to exacerbate the situation by increasing water stress in arid regions, and by increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
By 2030, half of the world’s population is expected to suffer from water stress.¹ In order to sustain economic growth, and protect and restore water-related ecological systems, many countries, including high-income countries, need to manage their water resources more effectively.
Increasing freshwater consumption and pollution put increasing stress on freshwater systems and hence threaten the sustainability of the water resource itself and its value to humans and to ecosystems. Large infrastructure investments, especially in wealthy countries, have significantly reduced the threat of human water security (in terms of water quality, at least).
In addition, protecting and restoring water-related ecological systems requires significant improvements in water resources management especially in developing countries as well as significant investments in both developed and developing nations. This is fundamental for protecting the resource base required to deliver safe water for all.¹
In 2015, 91 percent of the world’s population had access to an improved drinking water source, exceeding the Millennium Development Goal target of 88 percent.¹ However, more than 660 million people still lack access to clean water (mostly in rural areas, predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa).¹ Furthermore, over 250 million dollars in Gross Domestic Product is spent annually in low- and middle-income countries without tangible benefits, due to inadequate water supply and sanitation services; at a country level, this can be as much as 7 percent of Gross Domestic Product.¹
Even for those with access to water, the service is often inadequate or unsustainable, and the water from an improved source is not necessarily safe to drink.¹
Only 68 percent of the world’s population has access to improved sanitation facilities for personal hygiene, which is below the target of the Millennium Development Goals of 77 percent.¹ Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to ensure adequate sanitation for all and to put an end to open defecation, which in turn leads to water pollution and the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, and dysentery.
According to figures, around 842,000 people die annually as a result of diarrhea (due to unsafe drinking water), poor sanitation services, or lack of public health.¹ The problem is widespread in rural areas of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where 7 out of 10 people lack access to safe and hygienic toilet facilities in rural areas, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.¹
Furthermore, rapid urbanization contributes to more than 700 million urban dwellers not having access to sanitation services, as only 10 percent of wastewater in low- and middle-income countries is treated in urban areas, as the amount of wastewater increases, the impact on public health also increases.¹
Providing clean water for all is a necessary and urgent need and one of the important essentials of the world we want to live in, and there is sufficient fresh water to achieve this goal. However, due to bad economics, millions of people including children die every year.
Therefore, most countries – including Syria – are making every effort to ensure clean water and personal hygiene. They participate in several annual global conferences, including the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development to discuss the steps to ensure the provision of clean water.
Syria has committed itself to develop mechanisms to ensure the implementation of activities related to the participation of various components of the Syrian people in the achievement of all sustainable development goals. The role of supporters such as “Insaf for Development”, a humanitarian organization based in Syria which works in service, education, and community, cannot be overlooked; as it has made many efforts to secure clean water for all people. The “World Vision International” organization also provides services and activities to help many of those affected or who suffer from a lack of basic needs.²
water conservation is one of the most important issues that countries strive to find solutions for, especially with the spread of drought, by working on all levels. Water is directly linked to life and survival, and without water, life on Earth would end. Severe suffering is apparent in many countries that suffer from scarce rains, and the lack of water sources such as seas, rivers and springs. This itself poses the greatest challenge for States and Governments.
Will countries be able to find the necessary and adequate solutions? The most important question is: How will people solve the problem of the shortage of clean water and manage personal hygiene until appropriate solutions are developed?
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References:
[1] World Bank
[2] UNESCWA