Today, 40% of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity and 80% of wastewater is released into the environment untreated, according to the new report of the High-Level Group on Water submitted on Wednesday to Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres.
“Water scarcity is a matter of life and death,” Guterres said on the occasion of the publication of the report “Making Every Drop Count: An Action Program for Water”.
For the Secretary-General, this report is a call for a start to find and implement solutions to the global water crisis.
The 12 members of the Group launched a real alarm, calling for a fundamental change to avoid the devastating consequences of this shortage.
More than two billion people are forced to drink unsafe water and more than 4.5 billion people do not have safe sanitation.
By 2030, 700 million people are at risk of being displaced by water scarcity.
To address the water crisis, the Group proposes to double investments in water infrastructure over the next five years and to forge new innovative and inclusive partnerships that include both the municipalities and the agricultural sector.
“Whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you live, we urge you to get involved and contribute to this great challenge: clean water and sanitation for all, and our sustainably managed water resources,” said the members of the Group in an open letter.