Water scarcity can fuel conflicts around the world, UN warns

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has warned that water scarcity can fuel conflicts around the world and also pose a threat to fundamental rights.

The international organization disclosed that globally, 2.2 billion people are without access to safely managed drinking water and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation.

UNESCO made the disclosure in a report to commemorate World Water Day, celebrated annually on March 22.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said: “One in two people around the world suffers from water scarcity for several months of the year.

“And in some parts of the world, this water scarcity has become the rule rather than the exception.

“We know the consequences of such a situation: water shortages not only fan the flames of geopolitical tensions but also pose a threat to fundamental rights as a whole.

“For example, by considerably undermining the position of girls and women.”

According to Azoulay, access to water and the preservation of water resources were core challenges for societies.

Speaking on the theme of this year’s celebration, “Water for Prosperity and Peace,” the UNESCO DG said, “It is a call to action to sustainably manage water, to reconnect with our planet, and, ultimately, to build peace.”

Achieving universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in 140 low- and middle-income countries would cost approximately 1.7 trillion dollars from 2016 to 2030, or 114 billion dollars per year, the report estimated.

Persecondnews reports that recent data by the World Bank shows that approximately 60 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water, representing a substantial portion of the populace deprived of a basic necessity for healthy living.