Water & Sanitation
While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, billions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack access these basic services, which were recognized as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010. Worldwide, one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water, two out of five people do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water, and more than 673 million people still practice open defecation. Unsafe hygiene practices are widespread, compounding the effects on people’s health. The impact on child mortality rates is devastating, with more than 297,000 children under five who die annually from diarrheal diseases due to poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water.
By managing our water sustainably, we are also able to better manage food production and energy, and contribute to decent work and economic growth. Moreover, we can preserve our water ecosystems, their biodiversity, and take action on climate change. Water and sanitation are essential to the future of sustainable development.
Events and Articles
Showing 21 - 30 of 71 results
13th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP13)
COP13 adopted 25 resolutions, including on a language strategy with a step-by-step plan to add Arabic as the fourth Convention language, gender, peatlands, blue carbon ecosystems, sustainable urbanization, agriculture, intertidal wetlands, wetlands in West Asia, and Arctic and sub-Arctic wetlands. The release of the Global Wetland Outlook provided a touchstone for discussions on challenges ahead to ensure the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention MOP8) serviced by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Throughout the meeting, many speakers highlighted the importance of further expanding the Water Convention and making its tools globally available to enable cooperation and effective water management. MOP8 addressed many substantive issues, including reporting under the Convention and SDG indicator 6.5.2 (proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation).
29th UN-Water Meeting
Agenda items included updates on the outcome of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the recommendations from the High Level Panel on Water, and the “Global call to action for WASH in healthcare facilities” and “WASH4Work” initiatives. Ongoing monitoring initiatives were discussed, and a panel discussed their experiences with promoting water and sanitation issues within their own organizations
12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP12)
COP12 adopted 16 resolutions by consensus, including the Strategic Plan 2016-2024, a new framework for the delivery of scientific and technical advice and guidance on the Convention, peatlands, disaster risk reduction, and a wetland city accreditation of the Ramsar Convention. In the face of dramatic loss and degradation of wetlands, and notwithstanding organizational difficulties, the meeting was considered successful in charting the way for the Convention to link up to other international processes, as well as guide work on the ground.